Team Hoyt

the first time i heard about this father-son team, i was watching oprah (yes, i watch oprah frequently when i get the chance) sometime last season. i was so moved by their story. today, i happened to be reminded of them in this man's blog (see below). i was boo hooing shamelessly as i wached the video. maybe it's all the pregnancy hormones coursing through my body right now... or maybe it's the conviction that i'm always in fear of having a child with severe disabilities. would i have the courage, strength, and selflessness to love and care for a child like rick... and to the extent that dick does? my only solace is knowing that God gives grace beyond measure.

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"My dad is the Father of the Century"

Oct 20th 2006 1:31PM by Roger Sinasohn
Filed under: Health and Safety, Lifestyle, Dads

I'm glad I was working at home when I came across this story; most of my co-workers are not the sorts who think very highly of a grown man crying. This is a pretty cool story of a man whose love for his son drove him -- literally -- to Herculean feats of strength, endurance, and courage. If you're the sort who tears up easily, make sure you have a box of tissue handy before reading this or watching the accompanying video.

Rick Hoyt was strangled by umbilical cord during birth, leaving him unable to control his limbs. Doctors told his parents were told he'd be a vegetable for life and that they should put him in an institution. His parents were a little too stubborn for that, however. When he was 11, he got a computer that he could control with his head, allowing him to communicate for the first time. When a classmate was paralyzed and the school organized a run to raise money for him, Rick typed out "Dad, I want to do that."

That was the start of it all. Dick Hoyt, out of shape and not used to running more than a mile, tried his best to push his son the five miles. "I was sore for two weeks," he says. That day changed everything, however. Rick told him "Dad, when we were running, It felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!" Who could forget that? Not Dick Hoyt. Since then, Team Hoyt has done more than 200 triathalons, dozens of marathons, and even six 15-hour Ironman Races in Hawaii. Tomorrow, they'll run/swim/bike another Ironman together.

My dad was a pretty awesome guy. He did a lot for his kids and for others. But I have to give Dick Hoyt credit. As his son Rick said, "No question about it, my dad is the Father of the Century." Read the article, watch the video, and be prepared to buy more Kleenex