{"id":1723,"date":"2011-04-03T22:34:34","date_gmt":"2011-04-04T05:34:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/?p=1723"},"modified":"2011-04-05T22:30:25","modified_gmt":"2011-04-06T05:30:25","slug":"yes-you-can","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/index.php\/yes-you-can\/","title":{"rendered":"Yes You Can!"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/a><\/a><\/a>\"\"<\/a>If Dick Hoyt is trying to guilt me into being a better father, I have to admit that he\u2019s accomplished his mission very well.\u00a0 That\u2019s not to say that I\u2019m not a good father, I am, but if it came down to comparing\u00a0the two of us, he leaves me in the dust.\u00a0 Literally.<\/p>\n

In 1962, Dick and his wife, Judy, had a son, Rick, who was born with cerebral palsy, the result of oxygen deprivation to his brain after the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck on delivery.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was beautiful,\u201d Dick said.\u00a0 \u201cHe was strong and he was lying on his stomach, and Intensive Unit thought he was doing pushups, but he was actually having spasms.\u201d<\/p>\n

Doctors told Dick and Judy Hoyt that their son would never be able to walk or talk.\u00a0 They recommended that the couple institutionalize their son and forget about him because he would be in a vegetative state his entire life.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t know Dick and Judy Hoyt.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe told them no, that we were going to take Rick home and bring him up like our other two sons, like any other child.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFortunately, it occurred to us pretty early on that all we really had to do was to push Rick in his wheelchair, and he could go anywhere,\u201d Dick said. \u201cPretty soon, we were taking him to the beach and everywhere else we went.\u00a0 And when the kids would play hockey, all they had to do was to put the hockey stick in his hands and guide his wheelchair around.\u00a0 We did everything with Rick that we did with our other sons.\u201d<\/p>\n

Every day, while Dick, a Lt. Col. in the National Guard, was at work, Judy taught Rick since school officials, assuming he could not communicate or understand what was going on around him, would not allow him to attend public schools.\u00a0 But at age 11, the Hoyts took their son to the engineering department of Tufts University in search of a method that would allow him to \u201cspeak.\u201d\u00a0 Initially, the staff rejected the idea, since they felt Rick\u2019s inner world was nonexistent.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe knew otherwise, so I told one of the engineers to tell him a joke,\u201d Dick recalled, \u201cand when he did, Rick laughed.\u00a0 That convinced them that Rick was capable of understanding, and that he was aching to reach out to the world.\u00a0 All he needed was a tool that would enable him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eventually, the Tufts engineers developed a computer with an interactive cursor that Rick could operate by moving his head, the only part of his body that he can control, despite his cerebral palsy.\u00a0 The engineers called the machine the Tufts Interactive Communicator, or TIC, but the Hoyts called it The Hope Machine.\u00a0 When encouraged to test the machine for the first time, researchers and the Hoyts thought Rick would type out something common such as \u201cHi, Mom!\u201d or \u201cHi, Dad,\u201d but always the sports fan, Rick slowly typed his first words, \u201cGO BRUINS!\u201d<\/p>\n

Soon, Rick was admitted to school.\u00a0 The only exception made in the curriculum to accommodate him was to substitute study hall in the library for physical education, a situation the gym teacher, \u201cDoc\u201d Steve Sartori, found unacceptable, insisting that Rick begin attending and participating in many of the same activities as other students.<\/p>\n

Sartori and Rick soon became fast friends, so when Satori asked the Hoyts if he could take Rick to a college basketball game with him, Rick was ecstatic.\u00a0 It was at that game that Rick noticed a sign announcing a 5-mile run to benefit a classmate who had been paralyzed in an accident.\u00a0 It was on that day in 1977 that the athletic phenomenon known as Team Hoyt began.<\/p>\n

\u201cRick came home from that game and asked me if I would help him participate in that benefit run,\u201d Dick explained.\u00a0 \u201cI wasn\u2019t sure at the time what to think.\u00a0 Here I was, 40 years old, not a runner, and my son wants me to push him in a foot race?\u201d<\/p>\n

If Dick wasn\u2019t sure what to think, the feeling was compounded by race organizers when the pair showed up at the event.\u00a0 Team Hoyt didn\u2019t fit any of the existing categories.<\/p>\n

“When we arrived, race organizers weren\u2019t sure where or if we fit in anywhere,\u201d Dick said.\u00a0 \u201cI wasn\u2019t running by myself, and Rick wasn\u2019t pushing his own wheelchair.\u00a0 And when it came time to enter the age of the entrant, would we say 40 for me, or 17 for Rick?\u00a0 They were also concerned that with me pushing a wheelchair, I would get in everyone else\u2019s way.\u00a0 They had a real dilemma on their hands.\u201d<\/p>\n

Eventually, the Hoyts ran as bandits, without official numbers or registrations, but still ran in the events, regardless of length or difficulty.\u00a0 Race officials relented because they decided that the Hoyts probably would not get around the first corner, but Dick\u2019s perseverance allowed them to finish the event.\u00a0 And although they didn\u2019t place, the victory came later at home when Rick tapped a message on his computer: \u201cDad, when I\u2019m running, it feels like I\u2019m not handicapped.\u201d<\/p>\n

That was all the encouragement Dick needed to hear.\u00a0 Dick recalled.\u00a0 \u201cMaking Rick happy was the greatest feeling in the world.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dick began training every day by running around his neighborhood pushing a bag of cement in a wheelchair, since Rick was in school and unable to participate.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m sure that by that time, our neighbors thought I was either crazy or trying to build something in a terrible hurry,\u201d Dick joked.\u00a0 \u201cThe truth is, it took quite a bit of engineering to make this project worthwhile.\u00a0 Due to Rick\u2019s spasms, a wheelchair has to be specially fitted for him, and to make it possible to be pushed, as in a race, is no small feat.\u201d<\/p>\n

As of April 21, 2009, the Hoyts have competed in 1,000 endurance races, including 67 marathons and 27 Boston Marathons.\u00a0 In 1987, Team Hoyt began competing in Ironman competitions.\u00a0 And although the running and biking presented a big enough challenge, the 2.6-mile swim was toughest, since at the time Dick could not swim.\u00a0 Determined not to disappoint Rick, Dick not only learned to swim, but also designed an inflatable boat that is heavily balanced and stabilized to support Rick, and that Dick pulls behind him.\u00a0 He also designed a special seat on the front of his bike for the 112-mile bike riding portion of the Ironmans.<\/p>\n

The team\u2019s first serious bump came in 2003 when Dick suffered a heart attack, although he was told at the time that his heavy training probably was the reason he survived.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI had gone to the doctor because I was having a strange tickling feeling in my throat,\u201d Dick said.\u00a0 \u201cWhen the doctor told me after an EKG was performed that one of my arteries was 95 percent blocked, I was shocked.\u00a0 I felt fine, but the doctor told me that I needed surgery immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n

The surgery prevented Team Hoyt from participating in that year\u2019s Boston Marathon for the first time in 22 years.\u00a0 \u201cThe response we got shocked me,\u201d Dick said.\u00a0 \u201cWhen the news got out that I needed surgery, people from all over the country volunteered to push Rick through the Boston Marathon, or at least to push him for portions of it.\u00a0 I asked Rick what he wanted to do, and he declined to participate since Team Hoyt is a team.\u201d<\/p>\n

That feeling of team spirit is reflected in Dick\u2019s viewpoint also, when he humbly explains, \u201cI\u2019m not the athlete, Rick is.\u00a0 I\u2019m just there to lend my arms and legs so we can compete together.\u00a0 People frequently look at my times and tell me that I should compete on my own, but the truth is, I have no interest in participating without Rick.\u00a0 Besides, without Rick, I wouldn\u2019t know what to do with my arms.\u201d<\/p>\n

Team Hoyt has become, arguably, two of the most famous distance runners in the world.\u00a0 When Dick isn\u2019t training, and Rick isn\u2019t working at his job as a writer, they are either touring the world giving motivational talks, or participating in athletic events.<\/p>\n

Team Hoyt has met with President Ronald Reagan and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.\u00a0 They have appeared on hundreds of television programs, including Oprah and the Today Show.\u00a0 A documentary about Team Hoyt was finished in 1992.\u00a0 They have even written a book titled, \u201cIt\u2019s Only a Mountain,\u201d reflecting their philosophy that the only difference between a hill and a mountain is attitude.\u00a0 Despite all of the accolades, Dick admits that their proudest moment came in 2008, when Team Hoyt was inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame in Kona, Hawaii.<\/p>\n

Most recently, Team Hoyt is being featured in a campaign sponsored by The Foundation for a Better Life, promoting their slogan, \u201cYes, I Can.\u201d<\/p>\n

With all they have going for them, there are no plans to slow down, much less quit.\u00a0 Although at the beginning of 2009, plans were to cut back on the number of races and appearances they participated in, thus far, they have taken part in more activities than in 2008.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s funny,\u201d Dick said, \u201cIn the beginning, nobody wanted us around, but now, we get invitations all of the time to participate in races.\u00a0 We started turning race organizers away years ago.\u00a0 We\u2019re pretty selective now.\u00a0 Otherwise, we\u2019d have to have a race every day.\u201d<\/p>\n

Whether a slowdown happens or not, Team Hoyt continues to inspire others worldwide.\u00a0 Practically every day, the Hoyts receive letters and e-mail thanking them for their message of hope.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe other day, I received an e-mail from a woman who had endured several serious setbacks in her life,\u201d Dick said.\u00a0 \u201cAs a result, she was contemplating suicide.\u00a0 It was then that she saw something about us in the media, and she decided that if Rick could overcome his obstacles, so could she.\u00a0 We get messages like that all of the time.\u00a0 It\u2019s a feeling that is hard to describe.\u00a0 At one time, we lived to be inspired by other people.\u00a0 Now, we hear how much of an inspiration we are to others.\u00a0 It\u2019s a feeling I can\u2019t describe.\u201d<\/p>\n

For additional pictures of Dick and Rick click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Micheal W. Michelson Jr. Bio:<\/h3>\n

Michael W. Michelsen, Jr. is a freelance writer who specializes in business and technology subjects.\u00a0 He lives with his wife in Southern California.\u00a0 He will become a grandfather for the first time in August.<\/p>\n

Back to <\/strong>Stories<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If Dick Hoyt is trying to guilt me into being a better father, I have to admit that he\u2019s accomplished his mission very well.\u00a0 That\u2019s not to say that I\u2019m not a good father, I am, but if it came down to comparing\u00a0the two of us, he leaves me in the dust.\u00a0 Literally.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":113,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31,23,5,20,22],"tags":[133,126,119,125,10],"class_list":["post-1723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-empowerment","category-health","category-parenting","category-sports","category-thriving-2","tag-empowerment","tag-health","tag-parenting","tag-sports","tag-thriving"],"aioseo_notices":[],"views":8553,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/113"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1723"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1723\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thriveinlife.ca\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}