A Father's Love

AP Photo/Jeff Chiu

Rick Hoyt (left) and his father, Dick, have

competed in nearly 1,000 marathons and

triathlons over 27 years.

What is a father's love?

I have asked myself this very question, off and on, over the last couple of years.

Yesterday, while perusing a social media site, I was introduced to Dick and Rick Hoyt--Team Hoyt. Never heard of them? Don't worry, I hadn't either. But now that I have, my life is forever changed.

I racked my brain trying to come up with a way to tell their story in my own words, but found that I couldn't say it any better than they already had.

The following paragraphs are from the Team Hoyt website,

  the original can be found here.

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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 first 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. After high school, Rick attended Boston University, and he graduated with a degree in Special Education in 1993. Dick retired in 1995 as a Lt. Colonel from the Air National Guard, after serving his country for 37 years.

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 and they finished all 5 miles, coming in next to last. That night, Rick told his father, "Dad, when I'm running, it feels like I'm not handicapped."

This realization was just the beginning of what would become over 1,000 races completed, including marathons, duathlons and triathlons (6 of them being Ironman competitions). Also adding to their list of achievements, Dick and Rick biked and ran across the U.S. in 1992, completing a full 3,735 miles in 45 days.

In a triathlon, Dick will pull Rick in a boat with a bungee cord attached to a vest around his waist and to the front of the boat for the swimming stage. For the biking stage, Rick will ride a special two-seater bicycle, and then Dick will push Rick in his custom made running chair (for the running stage).

 Rick was once asked, if he could give his father one thing, what would it be? Rick responded, "The thing I'd most like is for my dad to sit in the chair and I would push him for once."

The 2009 Boston Marathon was officially Team Hoyt's 1000th race. Rick always says if it comes down to doing one race a year he would like it to be the Boston Marathon: his favorite race. Dick Hoyt hopes that he is able to push Rick in the Boston Marathon when he is 70 years old (2011)! Neither Dick or Rick are ready to retire yet.

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What a beautiful message, isn't it? I will personaly give you $1 if you made it through the story and video without being changed forever. If you are like me, you have tears rolling down your cheeks.

After drying my eyes and regaining my composure, I began to reflect on the message that the Holy Spirit was speaking through the Hoyt's story. And then it hit me, you and I are no different than Rick in God's eyes. We all have our handicaps in one way or another, whether physical or spritual--we have them. But, praise God, the journey doesn't end there! We have a Heavenly Father that is right there CARRYING us, PULLING us as we lay there, PEDALING for us when we can't, and finally PUSHING us across the finish line.

The Bible tell us, in Isaiah 46:4 (NLT), that:

I will be your God throughout your lifetime—

until your hair is white with age.

I made you, and I will care for you.

I will carry you along and save you.

I pray this message has touched your soul in the way it has mine! May we always strive to remember God's example of a father.

May God bless and keep you,

Michael