Hi, my name is… Clayton Hunter.
I’ve lived in the Northwest Valley for 36 years and Vistancia for 13 years. I love it because… The great amenities like biking trails, community pools and playgrounds, fun friends, and the small-town feel.
A typical day in my life includes… Waking up before everyone to get ready for work and do some quick low back strengthening exercises. I then get breakfast ready for my three girls, Maia, Lainey, and Carson. Since my youngest Carson has been battling cancer, these last few months we have had a very different routine on weeks that she is undergoing chemo. Those weeks have been a mad scramble as my wife frantically packs everything and anything a 7-year-old stuck in a hospital for four days would need. (You can follow her journey at gofundme.com/carsonconquerscancer.) If it is a normal week, I would whisk them off to school and rush to my job. My company, Spooner Physical Therapy, recently opened a new location near Lake Pleasant and Jomax. After seeing a full day of patients and speaking with physicians in the area, it’s back home to the family where I help clean up after dinner, brush people’s teeth, and read books until bedtime. After that it is catchup on work time, emails, and TV shows.
My family is… Fun, challenging, and wonderful. Raising three daughters has been nothing short of amazing. I am so lucky that my wife Kristi is so thoughtful and attentive to everyone’s needs and that we have so much fun together.
One thing I cannot live without is… Wireless earbuds. As a total podcast junky I’m always listening to something or trying to learn something wirelessly.
My favorite movie I could never get tired of watching and why… “Anchorman” and “The Big Lebowski.” How could you ever tire of Ron Burgundy or The Dude?
When I was younger, I wanted to be… A movie director. I worked for several years at the AMC 14 at Arrowhead Mall (I helped open the theater in 1996) and absolutely love going to the movies.
The song I would sing at Karaoke night is… “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice. Usually everyone “stops, collaborates, and listens” when I’m able to do it.
The one person who motivates me is… My wife Kristi. She is always pushing me to new heights and her relentless nature and perseverance inspire me to try harder and do better each day.
The last thing that made me laugh out loud was… My daughter Carson with her beautiful bald head doing dances from the movie “Encanto.”
The perfect day… I’d sleep in and go to a coffee shop for a nice cold brew. I’d then attend some sort of ASU, Suns, Cardinals, Mercury, or other sporting event with my girls. After, I’d go to a movie and have dinner and drinks with Kristi at V’s Taproom or Cactus Taproom.
My favorite local nonprofit is… Beanie Love. They provided my family with a wonderful Christmas and I know they do the same for children with medical issues all over the Valley. Other favorite nonprofits include: Brave Gowns, Crowns of Courage, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, Amanda Hope Rainbow Angels, and Children’s Cancer Network.
My life is… A journey of wonder, sadness, hope, love, and happiness.
The best gift I’ve ever received was… Hamilton tickets to take my girls to the show when it was in Phoenix.
My dream vacation would be… To return to the beautiful country of Portugal with my family.
The best piece of advice I’ve ever received… Start with “why.” In a great TED Talk, Simon Sinek explains that starting with “why” helps people understand the importance of things. This has helped me both at home and work.
