For those of us who are runners or who follow running, this
Monday is not your average Monday: it’s Boston Marathon Monday. And
while thousands of runners gather to tackle the epic 26.2 miles, I’d
like to draw your attention two runners who will be marking their last
Boston together.
I remember the first time I heard about Team Hoyt.
It was several years ago, and I was watching coverage of the Hawaii
Ironman – some people watch football; some watch baseball; we runners
watch races. The coverage was interspersed with profiles of the runners,
and that’s where I first saw the story of father-and-son team Dick and
Rick Hoyt.
Rick was born in 1962 to Dick and his wife, Judy. As a result of
oxygen deprivation, Rick was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with
cerebral palsy. Told that Rick had no chance of recovery, his parents
were advised to institutionalize him as he would be a ‘vegetable’. But
they refused. Instead, they brought him home and determined to give him
normal childhood experiences.
At age 12, Rick was able to begin communicating with the help of a
speech device. One day, he told his father that he wanted to participate
in a 5-mile race to help a teenager who had been paralyzed in an
accident. There was one big obstacle, though – Dick was not a runner.
Nevertheless, he agreed to push his son’s wheelchair for the entire
race. After the race, Rick told his dad, “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.” With that race and that statement, Team Hoyt was born.
For the past 37 years, Dick has pushed, pulled, and carried his son
through thousands of races, including marathons, duathlons, and
triathlons – including the grueling Ironman, made up of a 2.4-mile swim,
112-mile bike-ride, and 26.2 mile run.
Along the way, Rick graduated from Boston University and moved into
his own apartment. His wish? “Hopefully people will look at me as an
intelligent person and look past my disabilities,” he says.
“I may be disabled but I live a very fulfilling life. I have showed to
disabled people that they don’t have to sit back and watch the world go
by. They, too, can go to school, get a job, and be included in everyday
life.”
When called an inspiration, Dick’s response is simply, “I just love my family and I just want to be the very best father I can be.”
The child who people said should be institutionalized will on Monday race with his father in Team Hoyt’s 32nd and final Boston Marathon. At 73 and 51, respectively, Dick and Rick will continue to compete in smaller races.
Team Hoyt has shown the world the depth of a father’s love and the
absolute exquisite beauty of every life. Dick and Rick, we’ll be
cheering for you on Monday.
Source: LiveAction News
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment