The father needed to prove to his young son that everything in life is achievable.
Anything is achievable as long as you give your best from your mind and heart into something. Whether it is to cross a lake by swimming, performing in front of an audience, or reaching the Moon. You can do anything regardless of whether you have got a disability. The world saw that racing is still possible through this father and son team, despite having spastic quadriplegia.
Cerebral palsy comes in several forms. One is spastic quadriplegia, which affects the face, trunk, and all four limbs. The capacity to move and maintain equilibrium and posture are all affected by cerebral palsy (The Center for Disease Control and Prevention).
Most individuals suffering from impairment are unable to walk. Dick and Rick Hoyt, however, showed everyone that it is doable.
Dick and Rick Hoyt together were an outstanding team. Dick Hoyt and his son Rick have participated in the Boston Marathon for over 40 years. One of their main goals in those participations was to deliver the message that anything is possible – for children with special needs. They accomplished such an outstanding job that their journey has inspired many individuals worldwide.
Rick had quadriplegia and cerebral palsy from birth. Doctors encouraged Dick and Judy Hoyt to consider placing their child in an institution that provides superior care. Dick, though, was not having it. He desired to rear his son in the same manner as other kids.
Dick Hoyt told ABC News that they initially discussed it while crying and decided against keeping Rick away. They took Rick to their home and raised him like other ordinary kids.
Judy and Dick made the correct decision. Rick grew up in a joyful and caring household.
Ricks’s family always remained beside him, so he felt loved and adored. Even Tufts University engineers collaborated with his family to bring him an interactive pc. He may communicate in this fashion by using the buttons on his head. Rick received his Special Education degree from Boston University in 1993 with the help of his devoted family.
Rick once asked his Dad whether they might participate in a 5-mile fundraising race.
A lacrosse player who had been disabled in an accident was the beneficiary of the charity. Dick gave the go-ahead and pushed his kid into the wheelchair as he fled. They amazed and motivated a massive number of people.
They finished second to last, but the encounter altered their outlook on life.
“Rick typed on his computer when we arrived home that evening, ‘Dad, when I’m jogging, it appears as my disability disappears.’ So, to me, that was a pretty potent message,” Dick remarked.
Dick started working out with a newfound enthusiasm. He put in hours of practice so his body is ready to drive his son through each race. They participated in more than 1,000 races after that.
“Yes, what I’m doing amazes me. I’m 60 years old, yet I’m running faster than I did when I was 18,” stated Hoyt.
Even duathlons and triathlons were completed by the team. As Rick swam, Dick would pull him into a boat using a bungee fastened to a vest Rick was wearing. During the cycling part, they would also use a two-seater bicycle.
Dad and son both made an incredible and exemplary team! They demonstrated to everyone that no obstacle should prevent you from pursuing your passions.
The inspirational Dad was the epitome of commitment and determination.
Dick passed away while sleeping at the old age of 80. Rick first learned of his father’s passing through his other sons, Rob and Russ Hoyt.
He’s upset like we all are, though he’s OK, remarked Russ. “You saw it in him; he looked like he had been struck.”
In addition, Russ expects everyone else to recall Dick as more than simply a supportive father that helped his son finish the marathon.
I know it’s cliche, yet I need people to know that; I believe my father to be a hero. Yet it is not just for pushing Rick in the marathon but also for being a wonderful father to all of us. An individual to whom you could speak about anything. Russ added. He motivated people to treat all their children equally, regardless of disabilities.
Dick Hoyt will forever be remembered as an outstanding athlete and a caring parent. This was his response when asked what his key to success was.
He remarked, “I think Rick has forced me to live up to my life as a father. “What is the trick? I suppose just having a wonderful son.”
Wow, it was emotional and inspirational at the same time. Watch the video below to learn more about the passionate father and the son.