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- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -18/+226Here is the whole story.
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 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. 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 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.'' - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -7/+201This is absolutely. If you ask me, this should be 'pinned' by the staff, put on the first page and kept there for a while. This is SO much more deserving of the Digg front page than any story I have ever seen there.
Does anybody know how to contact these people, perhaps offer some congratulations and gifts? - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -8/+193i haven't cried in a long time until i read this touching story (grown man)
- popltree2, on 10/12/2007, -5/+169Way to make a grown man cry! This is seriously one of those stories that deserves to be on the Digg front page. Puts the "iPod touch screen by Christmas" story to shame! Truly inspirational.
- cowboydude, on 10/12/2007, -7/+165This is a truly amazing story of a father's love for his son. Dugg.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -4/+158"I was outside of Boston this year to watch my dad run in the marathon and I saw this man run by pushing his son. I can't believe how good of a time they were making. Absolutely incredible.
Here's a photo I snapped of them as they were running by:
http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/3384/dsc02489mx0.jpg"
-picklepete - bill679, on 10/12/2007, -3/+86Actually it is.
http://digg.com/videos_people/Strongest_Dad_in_the_World_Absolutely_amazing_Must_See
But:
a) the video link on that story from two months ago is now dead and
b) if ever there was a story worthy of a dupe it's this one. - pagit, on 10/12/2007, -2/+78If 50 % the fathers of the world could be 50% of the man that Dick Hoyt is (myself included) the world would be a 100% better place
- toekneebullard, on 10/12/2007, -2/+75I got about 25 seconds into the video and had to stop it. I can't cry at work.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+76"i haven't cried in a long time until i read this touching story (grown man)"
Same here. I was watching the video (the first one posted above by junkmail02) and just started crying.
If only everyone were as selfless as Dick Hoyt. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -6/+71http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D52rJd9GX10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AcsQ-NUPJQ - Qliphah, on 10/12/2007, -3/+56Label this as not work safe will you. I nearly started bawling at work, just lucky its early and nobodies in the office yet.
And great story, and he is truly an amazing dad. With all the advancements in robotics his son might just get his wish and be pushing him in the Boston marathon within the next 10 years :) - Portside, on 10/12/2007, -5/+55Really? I have an ovewhelming urge to tell mine he sucks.
- dezwald, on 10/12/2007, -3/+53I can't remember the last time i cried (honestly!) maybe back in elementary school. But after watching something like this, i couldn't hold back. Not even the saddest movie can make me want to cry more then this...i put this on digg just to get it out there, because i think everyone should see the love a father can have for a son.......talk about inspiration, devotion, heart.......just unreal.
only if kevin rose read this...and digged it a 1000 times..so that the of the digg.com community would check out the link - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -6/+55@ ecable
"Does anybody know how to contact these people, perhaps offer some congratulations and gifts?"
If you are interested in contacting Team Hoyt concerning a speaking engagement, sponsorship or event opportunity, please use one of the following methods and please plan well in advance.
Mail: Team Hoyt
241 Mashapaug Road
Holland, MA 01521
Fax: (413) 245-9554
Email: teamhoyt@cox.net
Web www.teamhoyt.com
all from http://www.teamhoyt.com/contact.shtml - VaamYob, on 10/12/2007, -1/+44Dude, let's just leave politics out of this.
- jpbleuu, on 10/12/2007, -0/+42i used to live down the street for Dick, he is an awesome guy and loves his son like nothing else. i'm not sure if they have it anymore but they used to have a flag that had an image of him and his son on it. really a great guy and so is his son.
he used to actually let me and my friends do some fishing off of his dock, as he lives on a little cove where some big mouth bass like hang out. glad to have seen this on digg and remind me of how great of a guy he is. - wferdwtr, on 10/12/2007, -0/+39Why does Nike not sponsor this guy? I recomend that everyone here send a email to Nike to sign these guys up. These two are way more motivating and inspirational than T.O. or Lebron James .
- DLPerry, on 10/12/2007, -1/+40I'm sitting here cryin' like a baby....
'I can only imagine' the bond between those two.
My father passed in 2001, and I am still filled with regret and sorrow at all the missed opportunities. I miss him so.
Go Team Hoyt!! - jawadde, on 10/12/2007, -2/+36same here... really feeling tears welling up while watching. Goddamit I hope I can be the same kind of father as that man.
We are all such lucky bastards, yet most of us complain all the time.
Go Team Hoyt ! - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+34This guy is the personification of parenthood. ***** amazing.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -11/+41i'm sorry if i came a little hard at you. you see, i have met Hoyts a few times through charity work here in boston and i'm just really into this digg right now. sorry.
- Esuzumy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+25I registered just to digg this. It's really, really amazing.
- cdbeshore, on 10/12/2007, -0/+23As the father of a girl with CF, I can tell you that the amazing ways your kids adapt and battle their disabilities is truly inspirational. I strive to be there for my daughter like Dick Hoyt is for his son. They showed a Dick Hoyt video at our church a few months ago and there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
- Filter, on 10/12/2007, -2/+25He is really a modern day hero. Some of these young punk kids who get a girl pregnant and then leave to never be seen again could learn something from a guy like this!
Dugg! - leonwehttam, on 10/12/2007, -3/+23soo true, its not just grown men that it makes cry.
- Sphonix, on 10/12/2007, -1/+20I have an overwhelming urge to go hug my father now.
- retsel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+18If i could digg this twice i would. Unnnbelievable story.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+16I'll chime in here as a diabled parent. Just for starters, I don't feel sorry for myself, and I'm not going to get into a long sob story about myself here.
I am inspired to be a better father. I cannot do what he has done, and I am touched by watching the videos. I will never be able to run again, I cannot jump, and I can't walk distances longer than my driveway without taking a break. That said, I am not capable of doing a lot of the things that normal dads can do with thier children. For example, when my son gets the training wheels taken off his bike, I'll be the one to take them off, but I won't be able to walk or jog beside him when he learns to do without them. That will be my wife. But I'll be damned if I won't TRY. - jkalinowsky, on 10/12/2007, -0/+16I've never run the Boston Marathon (or any marathon, for that matter) but I've been there 4 or 5 times to watch and have seen these two run by. What an inspiration! People know who these two are and wait and wait to see them run by. They are always mentioned in the Boston papers and are local celebrities, at least for that one day a year.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+19that's not country music...
that would be the genre of "Christian Inspirational" or "Praise and Worship"
I Can Only Imagine, by MercyMe - djdole, on 10/12/2007, -2/+18Wow,
This is not what I ever expected from Digg. I'm impressed.
I have to admit, I expected some crappy myspace page telling the story of some uber-spoiled 7 year old who was given pre-order slips for a Wii and a PS3. - joemc72, on 10/12/2007, -2/+17We did it to just piss you off. Can we not just enjoy some GOOD news and POSITIVE comments on a story for a change instead of complaining about stupid crap? Jeeze...
- cprincipe, on 10/12/2007, -3/+18No, if you don't at least get choked up your a selfish prick who will die alone.
- DoctaStooge, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15I remember seeing a piece done on these two on "Real Sports" on HBO a while ago. The truly amazing this is how independent Rick is. I haven't watched the videos so I don't know if its talked about, but Rick actually lives by himself and his dad comes over to help him. I know other people have said this already, but I myself was on the verge of tears and I found that I couldn't pull myself away from the TV when they were talking about this amazing story.
- nigeltufnel123, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14I'm going to be a father for the 1st time in just a couple of more months, I only hope I can be 1/1000th as good a Dad as this man.
And yes, I cried watching this, but I'm at work....so it was more like softly weeping. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+14As it should.
- boogienights, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15I'm sorry. The difference in mental images between "I was balling" and "I was bawling" is just too funny!
- Desolite, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15good story but i'm not about to cry at work so i'll have to check it out later when i get home.
- Schda, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14I hope no one takes offense to this being so high and a bit off topic - but if anyone is interested in following them on a race day they are running the Ironman - Hawaii this Saturday. Bib 188 http://www.ironmanlive.com It would appear that it is not being broadcast on OLN/Versus, rather it looks like the Lake Placid triathalon is being shown. NBC usually does a recap of the Ironman, focusing a lot on the inspirational stories that are out there, that usually shows up in a month or so on TV.
- dogfurnace, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14My dad could definately NOT beat up his dad. Dugg++
- solusdotipse, on 10/12/2007, -0/+13I only cried three times during the video. I think that makes me the burliest man alive. The chest hair should be coming any second now.
- doskir, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14this dad truly deserves a trophy
- Mudcrutch, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14Nice to see this make the digg front page a few times a year... :)
- verycheeky, on 10/12/2007, -3/+15IT is GREAT to see positive comments from everyone! its a nice change.
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is fair, whatever is pure, whatever is acceptable, whatever is commendable, if there is anything of excellence and if there is anything praiseworthy-keep thinking about these things. Phi 4:8 - threemagic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11Why digg him down? He's right.. they are far more deserving and truly hero's not to mention a remarkable athlete on top of it.
- AriaStar, on 10/12/2007, -3/+14You know, what we rarely hear about in the news are the good parents. We hear all about the bad ones all the time, but never about the good ones. This didn't touch me in quite the same way that it seemed to touch everyone else because I grew up with a father - and mother - who dedicated their lives to making sure that their daughter had every chance in the world. A daughter who had extremely extensive medical issues that actually make this man's son's issues seem mild in comparison, severe to the extent that the doctors urged them to let go and let her go. No to an institution, but to die. Even moving their family several hundred miles away to find the best doctors and hospital the US had to offer.
This father isn't so exceptional, he's just the loving type who we never hear about in a society where fathers are made out to be nothing more than child support checks, jerks who run out on their children when the fact is that the courts often take away visitation for no reason. Many fathers do all that they can, and it doesn't make any one any better or worse that another. As long as a parent, be it a father or a mother, does all that that parent can, then it doesn't matter if the best you can give your child a trip to the moon or a trip to the local candy store, because the measure is in what you have the ability to give.
Digg me down, I don't care, I just see that there are more good fathers in this world that society would have us believe. I am a woman on the board of directors of an international fathers' rights organization, and I have been fortunate enough to see countless fathers just as wonderful as this one. I wish it weren't a privilege of sorts to know them. Then maybe society would see the value in men. - Three6tee, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11I just registered to digg this as well. I lost my mother at the tender age of 13 and have been trying to spend as much time as I can with my father since then. Although I do not agree at all with war, he is at war right now. Reading this brings tears to my eye and I wish more than anything I could play a game of golf with him right now. I await his monthly call to tell him, again, how much I love him. We should all be taking notes right now.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11Yes, it's old, but it bears repeating. Sometimes there are things in the world that are so good, they need to be shown again. And again. And again.
Frankly, if you can't pull yourself away from Deal or No Deal or CounterStrike long enough to be inspired, re-inspired or just touched by a really great story, then you deserve what you get as a result.
UncleToxie- now YOU'VE made me cry. Bastard. ;) - Neme, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11I'm going to go and give my dad a hug.
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