Team Hoyt, the father-and-son team of Dick Hoyt and Rick Hoyt, will be recognized tonight at the ESPYs as they are to be awarded with the Jimmy V Perseverance Award.
Rick Hoyt was diagnosed at birth as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy–he would never be able to walk or speak. But as Rick grew older, his parents noticed that he had the ability to follow them around the room with his eyes, and in 1972 they worked with Tufts University to develop a computer that would allow Rick to communicate. Soon after his parents enrolled him in public school and Rick went on to graduate from Boston University in 1993.
Dick and Rick began exercising as a way of bonding. From the Team Hoyt website:
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.”
Since then, Team Hoyt has competed in over 1,000 races, including six Iron Mans. The two of them also successfully completed a run across the continental United States in 1992. Team Hoyt also ran the 2013 Boston Marathon, which was marred by a terrorist attack.
This video is great if you have 13 minutes to spare and feel like bawling your eyes out.
The ESPYs will recognize Team Hoyt with their Jimmy V Perseverance Award on Wednesday evening. The Jimmy V Award is given to a deserving member of the sporting world who has overcome great obstacles through perseverance and determination. Congratulations Team Hoyt.
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