https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPLCaAu_H2U
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The day Dick Hoyt’s son Rick was born, doctors encouraged the new dad to give up any hope for a normal life. The brain damage his son sustained at birth was so severe, he would never be a normal member of society.
“They said, ‘Forget Rick, put him away, put him in an institution, he’s going to be a vegetable for the rest of his life,’”recalled Dick Hoyt, 72, noting that Rick was also diagnosed with cerebral palsy after his birth.
Today, both Dick and Rick Holt are known as prolific athletes whose story has inspired millions.
Team Hoyt
So how did these two end up at the finish line of the Boston Marathon? The story is nothing short of incredible.
The Hoyt family decided from the start to raise Rick as they would any other child. He couldn’t speak or use his limbs, but his parents took him camping, swimming and cross country skiing with his younger brothers, even enrolling him in public school and taking him to college sports games.
It was at one of these sporting events that Rick heard the announcer mention a recently paralyzed college athlete who couldn’t participate in the game. There was a charity run scheduled to help the local athlete pay his medical bills. Using a computer to communicate, Rick told his family he was determined to help.
Team Hoyt
“Rick came home from that basketball game and he said, ‘Dad, I have to do something for him. I want to let him know that life goes on even though he’s paralyzed. I want to run in the race,’”Dick Hoyt said.
Team Hoyt
Dick was 40 years old at the time and certainly not a runner, but when he saw how fired up his son was to compete he knew he had to do something. He found a large box-shaped chair with handles on top and decided to push his son along the 5k course.
“We came in next to last, but not last,”said Dick. “When we got home that night, Rick wrote on his computer, ‘Dad when I’m running, it feels like my disability disappears’ – which was a very powerful message to me.”
Team Hoyt
That very first race took its toll on Dick, but he was determined to find a solution so that his son could feel so free for the rest of his life. And so, Dick had a custom race chair built for his son, signing up for one race, then another and on for next 37 years.
In that time, Rick and his dad have participated in over 1,100 races including 252 triathlons (6 of them being Ironman competitions), 70 marathons and 155 5k races. The pair even biked and ran across the U.S., completing 3,735 miles in 45 days.
“I used to get letters and phone calls saying, ‘What are you doing dragging your son to all these races? Are you just looking for glory for yourself?’”Dick Hoyt recalled. “What they didn’t realize was that he was dragging me to all these races! Today Rick is 51 years old and we still haven’t figured out what kind of vegetable he is – and guess what? That vegetable has been turned into a bronze statue.â€
Team Hoyt
Share Team Hoyt’s story if this father and son inspired you today!
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