The daughter of leading racehorse trainer Ian Balding, she presented the racing bulletin on Danny Baker's Morning Edition before moving onto Five Live following its launch in March 1994.
Clare's move into television began in the summer of that year, making her debut during Royal Ascot.
It followed a recommendation from Julian Wilson, the man she would eventually take over from as horse racing presenter in December 1997.
During her career with the BBC, Clare has worked on a wide range of sports from the Olympic Games and Wimbledon, to rugby union's World Cup and the Cheltenham Festival.
Rich mix of sports
Clare was part of the presentation team for BBC One's Sports Personality of the Century programme in December 1999.
She is also a regular presenter on Five Live's Any Sporting Questions.
Clare is thrilled to be part of the Winter Olympics coverage this year.
She said, "There is such a rich mixture of different sports at the Winter Olympics that I think we will all be surprised at how much it catches on.
"While we may not have a Torvill and Dean in the team, just watch out for those crazy skeleton men and women!"