I saw a story on television several weeks ago that I thought was a rerun and had seen previously. It was about a father and his son with cerebral palsy, who competed in over 247 triathlons, while the dad began his first of many different endurance races at age 36. According to him, he was not in the best shape when he began, yet, he wanted to compete with his son who was unable to physically do many of these things because of his disability. Dick Hoyt and his son Rick, became hometown heroes in Massachusetts over the years, as they evolved from running races, with the dad pushing his son on a special wheelchair. In video footage Rick would light up with excitement from being with his dad in all of these competitions and when they took it up another notch to race in triathlons, they elevated physical endurance to new levels. I felt like I had seen this story before, because I remember following them over the years when they made the news. They also provided much motivation for many other families with children with disabilities that were able to compete with their parents, even in just walking together while pushing a wheelchair when a race competition was in their town. They amassed a following of people who would go to cheer them on if they happened to be in their city for a race. As it turned out I was watching this interview with both of them, because it was Father's Day Weekend and they wanted to focus on a special dad like Dick, who heightened the meaning of what a father is, through the many years that he competed with his son. Interestingly enough in the interview with Rick, it was discussed how he actually lived alone in an apartment with the aid of assisted living. Dick spoke about how proud he was that his son, who although was severely disabled physically, was extremely bright and smart, while still wanting his independence from his dad. Rick was also a college graduate with a degree in Special Education which took him many years to complete due to his disability. However, Rick persevered just like his father and even got a job at Boston College working in a computer lab helping to develop systems to aid in communication and other tasks for people with disabilities. Their story is special in so many ways because it has all of the elements of what it takes for one to overcome obstacles in life, no matter what hurdles one may be facing. In re-looking at their story, I thought about times in my own life where I believed I was going through such tough periods that I would not be able to overcome them. Miraculously, I always did and now when I look back at my own stumbling blocks, they don't seem to be as monumental as I remember them to be. It's funny how life gives you this different perspective, if you get the privilege of living more years on this earth. Going back to this special Father's Day Story, what I was not prepared for was the ending. I thought both father and son were still doing well, even though Dick ran his last marathon in 2014 and had shifted into retirement watching his son continue to excel in life. However, the story also provided updates to their lives and I was unaware that Dick had passed away in his sleep in 2021 at the age of 80 years old. Stunningly, I was also unaware that his son Rick passed away in 2023 at the age of 61 from respiratory complications. I sat at the end of this special interview with tears, albeit because of the sad news at the end, I think I was even more emotional in looking at their interviews that they spliced over the years and saw the deep love of a father and son. In one particular interview, Dick was asked about his feelings of having competed for so many years with his son in tow. Dick went on to say that when he began, he was out of shape and was not in the best condition to run any type of race, marathon or unfathomable to consider a triathlon. He looked at the camera and began to tear up, because he credited his having better health and being in great shape to his son Rick. The interviewer ended with a statement, that his son actually saved his life and then the full tears came from Dick as he wept and said yes. I was so emotional at the end of this segment, yet, I was also grateful to have seen it. I was reminded over and over about the importance of family, love, faith, resilience, community and so much more. I am so thankful to both of them for showing the world what can be achieved as they broke down barriers, especially for those with disabilities about what is possible in this life. I hope you are able to watch some of their inspiring videos, as there are many and will continue to live on via the internet. I know that they will inspire many other folks for generations to come and serve as a great example of the love between a father and son while beating great odds may look like to the rest of the world.
“Too many of you are doing great stuff in small ponds, it's time for a stir-up, break limits, break boundaries, breakthrough. Go, make it happen!”
- Bernard Kelvin Clive
