Team Hoyt
Team Hoyt is a father (Dick Hoyt, born June 1, 1940[1]) and son (Rick Hoyt, born January 10, 1962) team from Holland, Massachusetts who have competed together in various athletic endeavors, including marathons and triathlons. Rick has cerebral palsy and during competition Dick pulls Rick in a special boat as they swim, carries him in a special seat in the front of a bicycle, and pushes him in a special wheelchair as they run.
Rick Hoyt's birth and early life
Rick Hoyt was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth after his umbilical cord became twisted around his neck, which caused the blockage of oxygen flow.[2] As a result, his brain is unable to send the correct messages to his muscles.[3] Many doctors encouraged the Hoyts to institutionalize Rick, informing them that he would be nothing more than a "vegetable."[3] His parents held on to the fact that Rick’s eyes would follow them around the room, giving them hope that he would somehow be able to communicate someday.[3] The Hoyts took Rick every week to Children’s Hospital in Boston, where they met a doctor who encouraged the Hoyts to treat Rick like any other child. Rick's mother Judy spent hours each day teaching Rick the alphabet with sandpaper letters and posting signs on every object in the house. In a short amount of time, Rick learned the alphabet.[2]
At the age of 11, after some persistence from his parents, Rick was fitted with a computer that enabled him to communicate and it became clear that Rick was intelligent.[4] With this communication device, Rick was also able to attend public school for the first time.[5]
Rick went on to graduate from Boston University in 1993 with a degree in special education and later worked at Boston College in a computer lab helping to develop systems to aid in communication and other tasks for disabled people.[6]
Dick Hoyt's career
Dick is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard.
Team Hoyt
Team Hoyt began in 1977 when Rick became inspired by an article on racing he saw in a magazine.[7] Dick Hoyt was not a runner and was nearly 37 years old. After their first race Rick said, “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.” After their initial five mile run, Dick began running every day with a bag of cement in the wheelchair because Rick was at school and studying, unable to train with him.”[2] As of February 2008, the Hoyts had competed in 958 endurance events, including 65 marathons and six Ironman triathlons.[5] They had run the Boston Marathon 25 times.[8]
They also compete in triathlons in which Dick pushes Rick for the foot race, then with Rick sitting in a boat for the swim portion, Dick pulls him with a rope attached to his body.[5] For the cycle portion of the triathlon, Rick rides on the front of a specially designed tandem bike.[3]
References
- ^ http://sportsthenandnow.com/2010/04/03/team-hoyt-dusts-off-an-old-friend-as-they-prepare-for-boston/
- ^ a b c Nall, Sam (2002). It's Only a Mountain: Dick and Rick Hoyt, Men of Iron. Southern Heritage Press. ISBN 0-9410-7251-7.
{{cite book}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ a b c d Hayes, Liz (2007-05-27). "Team Hoyt". Sixty Minutes Australia. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
- ^ Reilly, Rick (2005-06-20). "Strongest Dad in the World". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
- ^ a b c Henderson, Joe (2008-02-10). "Odds Overcome". Tampa Tribune. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
- ^ "The Power of a Father's Unconditional Love: Rick and Dick Hoyt". Self Improvement Association. 2009-11-08. Retrieved 2010-04-25.
- ^ Brant, John (2007-04-09). "Inspiration in Boston: Team Hoyt Starts Again". Runner’s World. Retrieved 2010-02-20.
- ^ "Hoyts Forced to Miss Marathon". Boston Globe. 2007-03-29. Retrieved 2010-02-21.
External links
- Team Hoyt - Official website
- Photo Gallery: Team Hoyt at SportsIllustrated.com
- Interview with Dick Hoyt on July 16, 2007 after being honored, along with Rick, as TheFinalSprint.com's July 2007 Success Story