Stories of Resilience: Team Hoyt

Team Hoyt running

This is the beautiful story of Dick and Rick Hoyt. When I first heard and read about their story, I had to cry, and I have tears in my eyes as I am writing this post, since this is such a touching and, most of all, inspiring story! It is a story about how strong a father's love can be: 

Dick's son Rick has suffered of cerebral palsy since his birth in 1962. He was supposed to grow up in an institution if it hadn't been for his parents, who noticed that Rick's eyes followed them around the room - this gave them hope that he was going to be able to communicate one day. A doctor encouraged them to treat him like any other kid. It turns out that he learned the alphabet in a short amount of time and that, at the age of 11, he was able to communicate through a computer - it was clear that Rick was an intelligent person. Consequently, he was admitted to a public school. He graduated from Boston University in 1993 with a degree in special education. 

Team Hoyt after the swim portion of a triathlon

Team Hoyt began in 1977 when Rick saw an article on racing and wanted to start racing with his father. After their first race (with Dick pushing his son in the wheelchair), Rick said: “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.” Since Dick was not a runner, he started training with a bag of cement in the wheelchair when Rick was at school in order to improve his fitness. 

The swim portion of the triathlon

The Hoyts have competed in 1,077 endurance events, including 70 marathons and six Ironman triathlons. They have also biked and ran across the U.S. in 1992, completing a full 3,735 miles in 45 days. 

When they compete in triathlons, Dick uses a rope attached to his body to pull Rick sitting in a boat, when it comes to the swimming part. For the cycle portion, Rick rides on the front of a specially designed tandem bike. When they run, Dick pushes Rick in his wheelchair.

Book published in 2010

Today, Rick is 51 and Dick 73 years old - and they are still racing. This father's devotion to his son, as well as their bond, is truly inspiring. Check out their homepage for more information: Team Hoyt. 

Happy Thursday to everyone!

source: http://www.teamhoyt.com/

source: http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Team_Hoyt

photo credit: http://www.davintosh.com/2007/11/09/team-hoyt/

photo credit: http://thexoxoofsports.blogspot.ch/2010/04/team-hoyt-re-lives-history-while.html
photo credit: http://sportsthenandnow.com/tag/dick-and-rick-hoyt/
photo credit: http://www.marlboroughtri.com/teamhoyt.php