Heroes of Hope: Dick and Rick Hoyt

Dick and Rick Hoyt (Photo Credit: TeamHoyt.com)The Story:

Rick Hoyt was born in 1962 to his parents Dick and Judy. Due to complications during his birth, Rick’s brain was deprived of oxygen and he became a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. According to one medical specialist, Rick should be sent to an institution since he would never lead a “normal” life in society. Dick and Judy refused to believe this. The way that Rick’s eyes would follow them around, they knew that there was an intelligent person hidden by his inability to walk or speak. Dick and Judy treated Rick just like any other child; they took him sledding and swimming, taught him the alphabet, and fought administrators to accept him into the public school system. When Rick was 10, a team of engineers at Tufts University built him a specialized computer that allowed him tap a head piece to choose a letter and carefully spell out his words. With his new ability to communicate, Dick and Judy’s belief in their son’s intelligence was confirmed.

The Inspiration:

Dick and Rick Competing in their First Boston Marathon in 1981 (Photo Credit: TeamHoyt.com)In the Spring of 1977, when Rick was only 15, he told his father that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile run to benefit a college student recently paralyzed in a lacrosse match. Through the Race for Doogie, Rick wanted to prove that life goes on after a disability. With Rick secured in a rudimentary wheelchair, Dick pushed his son all 5-miles to complete the race. Although they finished second to last, their accomplishment was life changing; as Rick carefully typed out, “Dad, when I am running, I don’t even feel like I am handicapped.” So began the journey of Team Hoyt.

Now, nearly four decades later, Team Hoyt has completed over 1,100 races including not only 5Ks and 10Ks, but also half marathons, marathons, triathlons, and Ironmans. In 1992, Rick and Dick biked and ran 3,770 miles across the U.S. in only 45 days. Together, they have given hope to those living with disabilities and have inspired millions of people across the world.

Neither Rick, now 51, nor Dick, now 73, show signs of slowing down. In fact, according to Rick, “Stopping now is not an option, I’m not ready to throw in the towel and I pray to God every day that Dad is not ready either. Birds are free to fly anywhere they want at anytime, which is how I feel when we race. There are so many people who want to see us out there. I love the spotlight…I have shown disabled people that they don’t have to sit back and watch the world go by…To this day, I don’t know what kind of vegetable I’m supposed to be.”

Learn More: 

To learn more about Team Hoyt and the Hoyt Foundation, check out the video below to see them in action and browse these links. 

Team Hoyt’s Website

Gary Smith, Sports Illustrated Vault: “The Wheels of Life.”

Also, for even more, check out these books: 

“One Letter at a Time,” by Rick Hoyt with Todd Civin

“Devoted—The Story of a Father’s Love for his Son,” by Dick Hoyt with Don Yaeger

Hero of Hope: Travis Roy

The Story:

Travis Roy was just your typical boy from Yarmouth, Maine. His father was a hockey coach and his love for the sport blossomed at a young age. By the time he reached high school, he was being sought after by the most prominent college hockey programs in the country. Roy finally decided to attend Boston University as a Terrier and he was in his element. After a long season of grueling practices, Travis got his shot at starting his first collegiate game. Eleven seconds in, his promising career was stopped short as he slammed into the sideboards, cracking his fourth vertebrae and becoming paralyzed from the neck down. Travis Roy would have to start over in foreign circumstances. However, as he says in his talks, his time as a hockey player helped give him the drive and the grit to reevaluate and persevere.

The Inspiration:

One of Travis’ best quotes is that “sometimes we choose our challenges, and at other times our challenges choose us.” Travis decided that there was a reason he became a quadriplegic and he has made the best of it. After intensive physical therapy, Travis went back to school at Boston University and got his degree in four years. Right out of college he started the Travis Roy foundation and started raising money for research into the realm of spinal cord injuries. He also uses the funds to help individuals with spinal cord injuries reach their goals.

As he was adjusting to life as a quadriplegic, Travis faced more challenges than most people can imagine. He managed to make his way to an independent, fulfilling life. He says that one of his favorite things is sitting on the porch of his family’s lake house and just taking in the beauty of the landscape. As many setbacks as he’s faced, Travis maintains that “this challenge chose him” and he has accepted with enthusiasm. His critically acclaimed book, Eleven Seconds; A Story of Tragedy, Courage & Triumph, is reviewed on this site and details his life surrounding the accident.

Learn More:

All you need to know about Travis Roy is on his website, including his story, his mission, event dates, and more.

Travis Roy Foundation website:

www.travisroyfoundation.org