She was seriously injured in a boating accident about 25 years ago and had to undergo 20 operations and procedures to rebuild her skull and improve her eyesight.
Mrs Clark, 50, is chairwoman of local charity Changing Faces Channel Islands, and global campaign group Face Equality International.
She is also director of the CI Co-operative Society and a self-employed lecturer at the GTA and College of Further Education.
‘My recovery was lengthy, but I see the changes and experience that happened to me as a positive rather than a negative,’ she said.
‘For me it’s a positive thing because I put my energy into things to help other people.’
In 1997, Mrs Clark was on a boat leaving Herm to return to Guernsey when it was hit by another vessel.
She was struck in the face by the anchor and had to be flown to Southampton General Hospital.
‘I tried to turn it into a positive rather than turning into a negative and recluse,’ she said.
‘I’m trying to make people more aware that you don’t judge people by their appearance.’
In her feature on Life Changing, she hoped to promote the charities and alter the way people perceive those with facial differences.
‘It is a programme I listen to and really love – it’s a fantastic series. If it just makes people think before they judge someone by their appearance, then I’ve done my job.’
Social media had worsened discrimination, she said.
‘My experience made me realise how obsessed with looks people are, and we really need to stop judging people on their appearance. Some individuals are treated appallingly because they look different and it needs to stop.’
Mrs Clark became involved with Changing Faces after meeting the late James Partridge, who had life-changing burns from a car accident as a teenager.
‘I put all my energy into helping him set up the Changing Faces Channel Islands branch,’ she said. ‘James was such an inspiring and amazing individual and I want to carry on the work he was so passionate about.’
. Ms Clark’s interview will air on BBC Radio 4 at 9am today. The programme will be repeated tomorrow at 8pm and is available as a podcast on BBC Sounds.
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