In the spring of 1977, a teenage dream sparked a lifelong legacy. Rick Hoyt, just 15 and living with cerebral palsy, asked his dad a simple question:
“Can we enter that charity race?”
Rick couldn’t walk or speak without help—but he burned with the spirit of an athlete. Dick Hoyt wasn’t a runner, but he saw his son’s dream and said yes.
They finished that five-mile race in last place, but Rick’s words at the end carried more weight than a trophy:
“Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.”
Those words lit a fire.
Over the next four decades, Dick and Rick—Team Hoyt—raced over 1,000 times. They tackled 32 Boston Marathons, 6 Ironman triathlons, and countless others. Dick swam oceans towing Rick, biked with him mounted up front, and ran pushing his son through endless miles.
It was grueling. It was relentless. And it was beautiful.
Because every finish line wasn’t just a personal victory—it was proof. That no obstacle is too big, no dream too distant, when love leads the way.
Together, they redefined what it means to compete. To believe. To endure.
They later launched the Hoyt Foundation, championing youth with disabilities and building a more inclusive world of sports.
Dick passed away in 2021. Rick followed in 2023.
Now they rest side by side—still racing forward in the hearts they moved.
#TeamHoyt #UnbreakableBond
~ Nostalgic Memories
In Album: Loree Alderisio's Timeline Photos
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