And You Think You're A Good Dad.........
10-25-2006, 06:22 PM
#1
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Thread Starter
And You Think You're A Good Dad.........
If you can read this and watch the video without getting a tear in your eye.........you have no feelings.
I won't post a link to You Tube, but you can go there and search for "father/son dick/rick" and find more then one video.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++
Strongest Dad in the World (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 stink.
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 TuftsUniversity 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 buzz kill 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 would sit in the chair and I would push him once.''
I won't post a link to You Tube, but you can go there and search for "father/son dick/rick" and find more then one video.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ +++++
Strongest Dad in the World (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 stink.
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 TuftsUniversity 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 buzz kill 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 would sit in the chair and I would push him once.''
10-25-2006, 07:18 PM
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Both Dick and Rick are fixtures in the marathon as well as many other races in the area.
I would venture to say that they get more cheers and applause than even the winner of the race.
Icons for sure.
I hope I could do as well for my son....
Steve
I would venture to say that they get more cheers and applause than even the winner of the race.
Icons for sure.
I hope I could do as well for my son....
Steve
10-25-2006, 07:42 PM
#4
He is everything a Dad is and so much more.
I hate to think what will happen to the son when the father is gone, I know we all lose our parents, but he will lose so much more.
I hate to think what will happen to the son when the father is gone, I know we all lose our parents, but he will lose so much more.
10-25-2006, 07:44 PM
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10-25-2006, 08:18 PM
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Thats a great story, and I'm proud of the parents for never giving up hope...
Must have been a difficult journey...
You have to be strong and brave to accomplish that...
Must have been a difficult journey...
You have to be strong and brave to accomplish that...
10-25-2006, 09:45 PM
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Now Sad and In Tears- - - - -snufffffffff-------sniff---sniff-----That is one of the most moving articles that I have ever read. I can only hope that I can be/mean half of that to my little Girl-----sure she is a Daddy's girl, but that is awesome. Rick will not only loose his Father but his idol, his bestfriend, his world!!!!! God Bless the both of them!!!!! Man-------I cant wait to get home and hug and kiss my little Monkey!
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10-26-2006, 01:17 AM
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I saw this story on NBC and man I balled!! I love my daughter with all my heart and I would do anything for her and I completely lost it when I saw what this guy was doing for his son!! A True MAN!!!
God bless them!!
Shane
God bless them!!
Shane
10-26-2006, 05:13 AM
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A family that has never given up hope,faith and love! That is the most Heartwarming article I have ever read. To be there and give them the strength to go on and talk to doctors and institutions that says nothing can be done, until You Prove Them Wrong. The Best Dad I have ever seen!!!!
10-26-2006, 06:02 AM
#12
Cin, did you watch the video?
I made about to about 1:25, the swimming part got me. I for one CAN'T imagine. Nothing like sitting alone in your office at 7 AM with tears streaming down your face.
I know it's probably not right but when we see a disabled child in public I tell my son to think of how fotunate he is to be able to do all the things he does. Like, next time he stomps up the stairs because his Mom asked him to gather his dirty clothes or complaining about being told to mow the back yard.
There are so many medicore parents out there, travel to your nearest metropolitian area if you don't believe me.
This guy is a true hero to his son.
I made about to about 1:25, the swimming part got me. I for one CAN'T imagine. Nothing like sitting alone in your office at 7 AM with tears streaming down your face.
I know it's probably not right but when we see a disabled child in public I tell my son to think of how fotunate he is to be able to do all the things he does. Like, next time he stomps up the stairs because his Mom asked him to gather his dirty clothes or complaining about being told to mow the back yard.
There are so many medicore parents out there, travel to your nearest metropolitian area if you don't believe me.
This guy is a true hero to his son.
