What a deadset legend, talk about tough

Orbit · 20-10-2006, 11:41 AM

[From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly]
I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay For their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.

But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.

Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in Marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a Wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and Pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day.

Dick's also pulled him cross-country skiing, taken him on his back Mountain climbing and once hauled him across the U.S. On a bike. Makes Taking your son bowling look a little lame, right?

And what has Rick done for his father? Not much--except save his life.
This love story began in Winchester , Mass. , 43 years ago, when Rick Was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth, leaving him Brain-damaged and unable to control his limbs.

"He'll be a vegetable the rest of his life;'' Dick says doctors told him And his wife, Judy, when Rick was nine months old. ``Put him in an Institution.''

But the Hoyts weren't buying it. They noticed the way Rick's eyes Followed them around the room. When Rick was 11 they took him to the Engineering department at Tufts University and asked if there was Anything to help the boy communicate. ``No way,'' Dick says he was told. ``There's nothing going on in his brain.''

"Tell him a joke,'' Dick countered. They did. Rick laughed. Turns out a Lot was going on in his brain. Rigged up with a computer that allowed Him to control the cursor by touching a switch with the side of his Head, Rick was finally able to communicate. First words? ``Go Bruins!'' And after a high school classmate was paralyzed in an accident and the School organized a charity run for him, Rick pecked out, ``Dad, I want To do that.''

Yeah, right. How was Dick, a self-described ``porker'' who never ran More than a mile at a time, going to push his son five miles? Still, he Tried. ``Then it was me who was handicapped,'' Dick says. ``I was sore For two weeks.''

That day changed Rick's life. ``Dad,'' he typed, ``when we were running, It felt like I wasn't disabled anymore!''

And that sentence changed Dick's life. He became obsessed with giving Rick that feeling as often as he could. He got into such hard-belly Shape that he and Rick were ready to try the 1979 Boston Marathon.

``No way,'' Dick was told by a race official. The Hoyts weren't quite a Single runner, and they weren't quite a wheelchair competitor. For a few Years Dick and Rick just joined the massive field and ran anyway, then They found a way to get into the race Officially: In 1983 they ran another marathon so fast they made the Qualifying time for Boston the following year.

Then somebody said, ``Hey, Dick, why not a triathlon?''

How's a guy who never learned to swim and hadn't ridden a bike since he Was six going to haul his 110-pound kid through a triathlon? Still, Dick Tried.

Now they've done 212 triathlons, including four grueling 15-hour Ironmans in Hawaii . It must be a buzzkill to be a 25-year-old stud Getting passed by an old guy towing a grown man in a dinghy, don't you Think?

Hey, Dick, why not see how you'd do on your own? ``No way,'' he says. Dick does it purely for ``the awesome feeling'' he gets seeing Rick with A cantaloupe smile as they run, swim and ride together.

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best Time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world Record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to Be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the Time.

``No question about it,'' Rick types. ``My dad is the Father of the Century.''

And Dick got something else out of all this too. Two years ago he had a Mild heart attack during a race. Doctors found that one of his arteries Was 95% clogged. ``If you hadn't been in such great shape,'' One doctor told him, ``you probably would've died 15 years ago.'' So, in a way, Dick and Rick saved each other's life.

Rick, who has his own apartment (he gets home care) and works in Boston, and Dick, retired from the military and living in Holland, Mass. , always find ways to be together. They give speeches around the country and compete in some backbreaking race every weekend, including this Father's Day.

That night, Rick will buy his dad dinner, but the thing he really wants to give him is a gift he can never buy.

``The thing I'd most like,'' Rick types, ``is that my dad sit in the chair and I push him once.''

And the video is below....

http://www.cjcphoto.com/can/ for a great 3-4 min vid of it
direct link
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f4B-r8KJhlE

not sure if it's a repost but deadset...should be brought up again.

photn · 20-10-2006, 11:57 AM

dude , that is ****EN awesum.. pitty there isnt more fathers like that in the world...that really just leaves me speachless dude.

that father is A TRUE HERO

Kapn_Kiwi · 20-10-2006, 12:36 PM

That's pretty intense, but the third paragraph's pretty badly worded. Either that, or the guy's managed 85 marathons and 8 triathlons in a single day. Pretty inspiring stuff though.

pb02 · 20-10-2006, 12:37 PM

AWESOME!!!

Great post, thank you so much for putting that up. Truly inspirational!!!

drcook · 20-10-2006, 12:47 PM

thats great. what a bloke. true grit and determination. sensational.

nat_daly · 20-10-2006, 01:02 PM

Thats amazing.. absolutely fantastic! absolute champion

Dezza · 20-10-2006, 01:22 PM

Quote:

This year, at ages 65 and 43, Dick and Rick finished their 24th Boston Marathon, in 5,083rd place out of more than 20,000 starters. Their best Time? Two hours, 40 minutes in 1992--only 35 minutes off the world Record, which, in case you don't keep track of these things, happens to Be held by a guy who was not pushing another man in a wheelchair at the Time

What an absolute legend. What he is doing for his son is inspirational. While many people would have given up hope, the Dad has showed his true love for his son in the best way possible... and that paragraph in particular says a lot about how fit the dad is... all from helping his son try to lead a normal life

The Yeti · 20-10-2006, 01:34 PM

Ken oth that guys a legend, I try to be a good dad and dont think i do too bader job but I'm not even 10% off this guy

Boss 290 · 20-10-2006, 01:52 PM

that was unbelieveable how far he goes for his son...how does healthy people get clogged arteries?....anyway that was very touching and i only wish he could get to push his dad around, its sad how people can be good hearted and disabled but their are evil people out their who dont respect anyone and dont fully apreciate how lucky they are to be healthy...mabey after watching this peple may think twice before they cut their lives short and spark up a ciggarette or do a drug

XRQTR · 20-10-2006, 02:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photn

dude , that is ****EN awesum.. pitty there isnt more fathers like that in the world...that really just leaves me speachless dude.

that father is A TRUE HERO

Their are plenty of dads out their with disabled or less abled kids than most, don't for a second think that parents of abled kids are in some way bad for not spending this amount of time. Being a dad is one of the best things in the world, at this point I can only observe and feel a tinge of jealousy, I love my nephew and that's as close as I am at the moment to undertsanding the bond between father and child.

Every dad makes sacrifices for there kids, it's just that some have to make more because of things that might be out of there control such as kids with disabilities. So please don't think that because you don't spend every second with your kids, or build that billy cart, or even take them to sports training every time they think less of you.

But yes it is this kind of story that makes you stop and think about the last time you did something with your kids, maybe you need to come back to it more often :voldar02:

RavenLS1 · 20-10-2006, 03:11 PM

speechless.

klawsterfobik · 20-10-2006, 03:35 PM

Agreed. Im speechless too

photn · 20-10-2006, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XRQTR

Their are plenty of dads out their with disabled or less abled kids than most, don't for a second think that parents of abled kids are in some way bad for not spending this amount of time. Being a dad is one of the best things in the world, at this point I can only observe and feel a tinge of jealousy, I love my nephew and that's as close as I am at the moment to undertsanding the bond between father and child.

Every dad makes sacrifices for there kids, it's just that some have to make more because of things that might be out of there control such as kids with disabilities. So please don't think that because you don't spend every second with your kids, or build that billy cart, or even take them to sports training every time they think less of you.

But yes it is this kind of story that makes you stop and think about the last time you did something with your kids, maybe you need to come back to it more often :voldar02:

sorry man, i wasnt having a go at ppl saying that there not good enough fathers. i know of many. but i also know of many who are complete A$$holes....i was just refering onto my child hood thats all. didnt really have a father figure, my dad never spent time with me believe it or not. always at work, or in the study....my Gf's father feels alot like a realy father should, loving caring and pays attention and helps. i think thats why we get on so well. im the son he never had and hes the father i never really had...now dont get me wrong i love my Dad for all the world. its just that i feel more of a bond with my gf's father....any way enough opening up stuff.

Dazza XLT · 20-10-2006, 03:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photn

i was just refering onto my child hood thats all. didnt really have a father figure, my dad never spent time with me believe it or not. always at work, or in the study....my Gf's father feels alot like a realy father should, loving caring and pays attention and helps. i think thats why we get on so well. im the son he never had and hes the father i never really had...now dont get me wrong i love my Dad for all the world. its just that i feel more of a bond with my gf's father....any way enough opening up stuff.

I am in a similar situation as you. I get on a lot better with my Girlfriends dad then I ever will with my old man. I haven't spoken to him for 2 years now. :togo:

Kommandant · 20-10-2006, 04:07 PM

<quote>always at work, or in the study</quote>

A lot of fathers I know (including mine) struggle, and have to work a lot in order to support their family. I know when I was growing up my dad was working 2 jobs a week and also on his day off would work i.e mowing lawns etc. Now that my brother and me have grown up and are working ourselves he has the one job and spends more time at home and seeing his kids.

I dont know your situation, but working dads are making the biggest sacrifice of all, spending time at work to feed their family rather then spending time with their family.

eb2flyz · 20-10-2006, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RAVEN81

speechless.

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i think everything is said above

photn · 20-10-2006, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kommandant

<quote>always at work, or in the study</quote>

A lot of fathers I know (including mine) struggle, and have to work a lot in order to support their family. I know when I was growing up my dad was working 2 jobs a week and also on his day off would work i.e mowing lawns etc. Now that my brother and me have grown up and are working ourselves he has the one job and spends more time at home and seeing his kids.

I dont know your situation, but working dads are making the biggest sacrifice of all, spending time at work to feed their family rather then spending time with their family.

yer thats true, i know a mate who will soon ba father (18yrs old) and he is doing 2 jobs already....the thing was both my mum and dad where working, Not cause we needed the money, trust me we didnt, (no saying where filthy, but where on a decent role) anyway, like i said when my dad wasnt at work, he was in our study with his books and computers - and when your in the study your not allowed to talk.....after a while when i hit my teens i distanced myself from the family, ie, not having dinner with them all, not talking to anyone, i did my own thing....it felt like my dad didnt want to know me, which may not have been the case, but i soon realised that he preffered privacy and alone time, on the weekend he would do normal dad stuff, fix things mow the lawn and spend time with my mother, all the while i was at my pop's.

i dunno, i just wish i had the typical child hood with the father that spent alot of time with there child playing cricket or soccer or footy.....

off topic.....lets say we get back to the thread??, unfortunatly this topic is not about my life. sorry for hijacking...

Orbit · 20-10-2006, 04:39 PM

he's not doing bad for 65.....

XRQTR · 20-10-2006, 06:04 PM

[QUOTE=photn]sorry man, i wasnt having a go at ppl saying that there not good enough fathers. i know of many. QUOTE]

Sorry champ I wasn't saying you were, I apologise if that's how it came across but ye not meant that way.

As for hijacking I don't think anyone really has, it's just made people think how there life was in comparison, that's not hijacking merely remeniscing. I actually recall the look on my fathers face when my younger brother was born, I was only 2 at the time but it is tattooed in my brain, it was as though nothing else mattered. Needless to say that he spent more 'quality time' with him than he ever did with me, did the whole soccer thing for about 6 years, when I wanted to play sport it was always a bad idea and he never had time.

But the moral of this story and all the others is that no matter what we still love our families and would do just about anything for them should they ever need us to, regardless of whether they ask or not.

xbcool · 20-10-2006, 06:19 PM

nothing short of amazing.
he must have a large trophey with father of a lifetime inscribed on it

dan.76 · 20-10-2006, 06:47 PM

Legend

**thefargo** · 20-10-2006, 06:50 PM

nice pick me up for a friday afternoon, thanks

Racecraft · 20-10-2006, 07:04 PM

inspirational stuff... great find, great story... almost in tears of joy

Orbit · 20-10-2006, 07:37 PM

yah the video is pretty moving, well worth a look.

pennybrain · 20-10-2006, 09:26 PM

Truley inspirational.
What a dead set legend.

FDG 220 · 20-10-2006, 09:54 PM

I'm speechless - i bow down for that man right there

photn · 20-10-2006, 10:17 PM

[QUOTE=XRQTR]

Quote:

Originally Posted by photn

sorry man, i wasnt having a go at ppl saying that there not good enough fathers. i know of many. QUOTE]

Sorry champ I wasn't saying you were, I apologise if that's how it came across but ye not meant that way.

As for hijacking I don't think anyone really has, it's just made people think how there life was in comparison, that's not hijacking merely remeniscing. I actually recall the look on my fathers face when my younger brother was born, I was only 2 at the time but it is tattooed in my brain, it was as though nothing else mattered. Needless to say that he spent more 'quality time' with him than he ever did with me, did the whole soccer thing for about 6 years, when I wanted to play sport it was always a bad idea and he never had time.

But the moral of this story and all the others is that no matter what we still love our families and would do just about anything for them should they ever need us to, regardless of whether they ask or not.

yer, i still love my family, and my father. but i feel like a real son at my GF's house..i still live with my parents and family and love them dearly....

samftr · 20-10-2006, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photn

yer, i still love my family, and my father. but i feel like a real son at my GF's house..i still live with my parents and family and love them dearly....

Im in that boat too. the girlfriend and i having a cry lol. its good to see some compassion amongst ourselves. the best thing we can do is be there for our kids and be the best dad's and mum's we can be when our time comes. were only here for a certain amount of time and to be honest I would rather spend time making memories etc with my family and friends then working to pay off the big plasma screen tvs and the flashy other crap people become obsessed in buying.
I have recently lost a young cousin (14) to suicide and when something like that happens it makes you cherish the moments that you do spend with the people you love.

take care everyone

HOON69 · 26-10-2006, 07:45 AM

dedication and love right there,just awesome

CAMS290 · 26-10-2006, 09:28 PM

Awesome, thanks for the post