Team Hoyt: An inspirational, father-son story

Dick Hoyt’s son Rick can’t walk or talk. After Rick convinced his dad to push him in his wheelchair in a 5 mile race, he told his dad that he didn’t feel handicapped when they were competing. Inspired by that, Dick has entered and completed with his son hundreds of competitive races including marathons and triathlons. Their times are impressive. Could you run sub 6-minute miles pushing a wheelchair for 10 miles?

THE STORY

From Rick Reilly’s column in Sports Illustrated:

“Strongest Dad in the World

I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay for their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Eighty-five times he’s pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in marathons. Eight times he’s not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars–all in the same day.

Dick’s also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. on a bike. Makes taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much–except save his life.

This love story began in Winchester, Mass., 43 years ago, when Rick was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

“He’ll be a vegetable the rest of his life,” Dick says doctors told him and his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. “Put him in an institution.”

But the Hoyts weren’t buying it. They noticed the way Rick’s eyes followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was anything to help the boy communicate. “No way,” Dick says he was told. “There’s nothing going on in his brain.”

“Tell him a joke,” Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a lot was going on in his brain.”

TO FINISH THE STORY: Sports Illustrated

ENJOY THIS VIDEO

NBC Today Show Youtube video — “Today’s Real Heroes” segment (10 minutes in length, but well worth the watch)

MORE ON THE STORY

Dick and Rick’s achievements are staggering. As of August, 2008, Team Hoyt had completed 229 triathlons, 84 half marathons and 66 marathons. Wow!

Their achievements include these personal bests:

• A 2:40:47 marathon
• A 59:01 10 miler (Are you kidding me? That’s running sub 6-minute miles!)
• A 17:40 5K

Check out all of Team Hoyt’s accomplishments included events and personal bests at www.teamhoyt.com.