Upon arriving at his home in rustic Holland, MA I anticipated seeing Dick Hoyt burst out of a phone booth, wearing tights, a super hero's cape and an "S" emblazoned across his chest. Much to my surprise, though not really, I found him dressed in a Team Hoyt t-shirt, running pants and sneakers, sweeping grass clippings off his drive way.
My thought being, of course, that if any man is truly faster than a speeding bullet, more powerful than a locomotive, or able to leap tall buildings in a single bound, it's the elder half of the world renowned Team Hoyt.
Like a story out of Marvel comics, this real life superhero not only competes in triathlons while pushing, pulling and pedaling his 125-pound son Rick, but also carries the hope, the dreams and the heart of countless others on his broad shoulders through his efforts.
With his faithful side kick, Rick, the dynamic duo, known as Team Hoyt, is an inspiration to every special needs and able bodied athlete who is familiar with their story. Through their message of "Yes, You Can," they motivate and bring inspiration and hope to millions around the globe.
"We receive over 125 emails a day," explains Dick. "Some of them will make you cry. We get letters and emails from people who are distraught; some who were ready to kill themselves, but have gained new hope after seeing what Rick and I do."
Dick and Rick's story is truly one of superhuman love and devotion between a father and a son and in countless chapters of their never ending story, they have had to overcome challenges that would leave lesser men waving the white flag.
Their story is told as follows on their popular website .
"Rick was born in 1962 to Dick and Judy Hoyt. As a result of oxygen deprivation to Rick's brain at the time of his birth, Rick was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. Dick and Judy were advised to institutionalize Rick because there was no chance of him recovering, and little hope for Rick to live a "normal" life.
This was just the beginning of Dick and Judy's quest for Rick's inclusion in community, sports, education and one day, the workplace.
Dick and Judy soon realized that though Rick couldn't walk or speak; he was quite astute and his eyes would follow them around the room. They fought to integrate Rick into the public school system, pushing administrators to see beyond Rick's physical limitations.
Dick and Judy would take Rick sledding and swimming, and even taught him the alphabet and basic words, like any other child. After providing concrete evidence of Rick's intellect and ability to learn like everyone else, Dick and Judy needed to find a way to help Rick communicate for himself.
With $5,000 in 1972 and a skilled group of engineers at Tufts University, an interactive computer was built for Rick. This computer consisted of a cursor being used to highlight every letter of the alphabet. Once the letter Rick wanted was highlighted, he was able to select it by just a simple tap with his head against a head piece attached to his wheelchair.
When the computer was originally brought home, Rick surprised everyone with his first words. Instead of saying, "Hi, Mom," or "Hi, Dad," Rick's first "spoken" words were: "Go, Bruins!" The Boston Bruins were in the Stanley Cup finals that season. It was clear from that moment on, that Rick loved sports and followed the game just like anyone else.
In 1975, at the age of 13, Rick was finally admitted into public school. He has since attended high school, as well as attended Boston University, where he graduated with a degree in Special Education in 1993.
In the spring of 1977, Rick told his father that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile benefit run for a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Far from being a long-distance runner, Dick agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair."
Race organizers believed that Dick and Rick would only make it as far as the first corner and then turn around. Much to their surprise, Team Hoyt finished the race, coming in next to last.
"At least we didn't come in last," recalls Hoyt.
That night, Rick told his father, "Dad, when I'm running, it feels like I'm not handicapped."
Upon hearing those word's, Dick Hoyt turned his son's wishes into a passion and a commitment that Rick would never again feel that he was handicapped. As of September, 2009, The Hoyt's have competed in:
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