Anthony "Tony" Laurence Clarke, (19 June 1961), is the only Australian Paralympic judoka gold medallist. He represented Australia at five Summer Paralympic Games and medalled at the 1993 Australian National Judo Championships competing against sighted opponents. Personal life Clarke was born in Adelaide, South Australia on 19 June 1961 and was raised in Kilburn, Adelaide. He began drinking at age 14 and moved out of home the following year to work as a "sanitation engineer". His judo coach and mentor Michael Headland perceived "a life which was not going to amount to anything". In 1978 Clarke lost control of the wheel of his car and drove it into a Stobie pole. He later recalled watching his hands fill with blood until he passed out. When he regained consciousness he was blind and his mother, Marjorie, had permitted the surgical removal of his left eye. In 2004 she recounted to ABC Television presenter George Negus, "the doctor said, 'you'd be a good advertisement for don't drink and drive'". Clarke learned braille and computer skills using screen-reading technology, and spent two and a half years hitch-hiking across Australia and New Zealand, ensuring "the dog is well visible to get a sympathy lift." Clarke is also a musician and has performed with a banjo and a mouth organ on James Place near Rundle Mall, Adelaide, every day for 15 years. In April 2016 Clarke reported to the police he had been repeatedly targeted by a thief later identified as Anastasia Dokas, 64. He explained that she gained his trust by giving him food, and that as he placed it down, she would take the money from his banjo case. Dokas denies the allegations, however her counsel recommends her case be referred to a mental health court diversion program. Career In 1993 Clarke achieved his first career win against a sighted opponent at the Australian National Judo Championships. He secured a place in the Under 95 kg semi-final, a first for blind judo competitors, and was awarded a bronze medal. Four years after judo was introduced to the Summer Paralympic Games, Clarke represented Australia in the Men's Up To 78kg event at the 1992 Summer Paralympics in Barcelona. He was the first of two Australian judoka to compete at the Games (the other was Desiree Allan). He lost to Brett Lewis (USA), Joel Gichtenaere (FRA) and Javier Sainz (ESP) by ippon, waza-ari and koka