Team Hoyt
Encyclopedia
Team Hoyt is a father and son (Rick Hoyt, born January 10, 1962) team from Holland, Massachusetts
, who have competed together in various athletic endeavors, including marathons and triathlons. Rick has cerebral palsy
and during competition Dick pulls Rick in a special boat as they swim, carries him in a special seat in the front of a bicycle, and pushes him in a special wheelchair
as they run. Team Hoyt was inducted to the Ironman
Hall of Fame in 2008.
at birth after his umbilical cord became twisted around his neck, which caused the blockage of oxygen flow. As a result, his brain is unable to send the correct messages to his muscles.
Many doctors encouraged the Hoyts to institutionalize Rick, informing them that he would be nothing more than a "vegetable." His parents held on to the fact that Rick’s eyes would follow them around the room, giving them hope that he would somehow be able to communicate someday. The Hoyts took Rick every week to Children’s Hospital in Boston
, where they met a doctor who encouraged the Hoyts to treat Rick like any other child. Rick's mother Judy spent hours each day teaching Rick the alphabet with sandpaper letters and posting signs on every object in the house. In a short amount of time, Rick learned the alphabet.
At the age of 11, after some persistence from his parents, Rick was fitted with a computer that enabled him to communicate and it became clear that Rick was intelligent. With this communication device, Rick was also able to attend public school for the first time.
Rick went on to graduate from Boston University
in 1993 with a degree in special education and later worked at Boston College
in a computer lab helping to develop systems to aid in communication and other tasks for disabled people.
in the Air National Guard
.
They also compete in triathlons with Rick sitting in a boat for the swim portion, Dick pulls him in a boat with a rope attached to his body. For the cycle portion of the triathlon, Rick rides on the front of a specially designed tandem bike. Then he pushes Rick for the run.
Total events (as of June 2011): 1051
Source: TeamHoyt.com
Holland, Massachusetts
-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Holland is bounded on the east by Sturbridge; on the south by Union, Connecticut; on the west by Wales; and on the north by Brimfield. Holland is equidistant...
, who have competed together in various athletic endeavors, including marathons and triathlons. Rick has cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
and during competition Dick pulls Rick in a special boat as they swim, carries him in a special seat in the front of a bicycle, and pushes him in a special wheelchair
Wheelchair
A wheelchair is a chair with wheels, designed to be a replacement for walking. The device comes in variations where it is propelled by motors or by the seated occupant turning the rear wheels by hand. Often there are handles behind the seat for someone else to do the pushing...
as they run. Team Hoyt was inducted to the Ironman
Ironman Triathlon
An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a swim, a bike and a marathon run, raced in that order and without a break...
Hall of Fame in 2008.
Rick Hoyt's birth and early life
Rick Hoyt was diagnosed with cerebral palsyCerebral palsy
Cerebral palsy is an umbrella term encompassing a group of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body movement....
at birth after his umbilical cord became twisted around his neck, which caused the blockage of oxygen flow. As a result, his brain is unable to send the correct messages to his muscles.
Many doctors encouraged the Hoyts to institutionalize Rick, informing them that he would be nothing more than a "vegetable." His parents held on to the fact that Rick’s eyes would follow them around the room, giving them hope that he would somehow be able to communicate someday. The Hoyts took Rick every week to Children’s Hospital in Boston
Children's Hospital Boston
Children's Hospital Boston is a 396-licensed bed children's hospital in the Longwood Medical and Academic Area of Boston, Massachusetts.At 300 Longwood Avenue, Children's is adjacent both to its teaching affiliate, Harvard Medical School, and to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute...
, where they met a doctor who encouraged the Hoyts to treat Rick like any other child. Rick's mother Judy spent hours each day teaching Rick the alphabet with sandpaper letters and posting signs on every object in the house. In a short amount of time, Rick learned the alphabet.
At the age of 11, after some persistence from his parents, Rick was fitted with a computer that enabled him to communicate and it became clear that Rick was intelligent. With this communication device, Rick was also able to attend public school for the first time.
Rick went on to graduate from Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
in 1993 with a degree in special education and later worked at Boston College
Boston College
Boston College is a private Jesuit research university located in the village of Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA. The main campus is bisected by the border between the cities of Boston and Newton. It has 9,200 full-time undergraduates and 4,000 graduate students. Its name reflects its early...
in a computer lab helping to develop systems to aid in communication and other tasks for disabled people.
Dick Hoyt's career
Dick is a retired Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
in the Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
.
Team Hoyt
Team Hoyt began in 1977 when Rick became inspired by an article on racing he saw in a magazine. Dick Hoyt was not a runner and was nearly 37 years old. After their first race Rick said, “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.” After their initial five mile run, Dick began running every day with a bag of cement in the wheelchair because Rick was at school and studying, unable to train with him.” As of July 2010, the Hoyts had competed in 1032 endurance events, including 68 marathons and six Ironman triathlons. They had run the Boston Marathon 26 times. Also adding to their list of achievements, Dick and Rick biked and ran across the U.S. in 1992, completing a full 3,735 miles in 45 days.They also compete in triathlons with Rick sitting in a boat for the swim portion, Dick pulls him in a boat with a rope attached to his body. For the cycle portion of the triathlon, Rick rides on the front of a specially designed tandem bike. Then he pushes Rick for the run.
Racing history
| Distance | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Triathlons | 240 |
| Ironman distances Ironman Triathlon An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a swim, a bike and a marathon run, raced in that order and without a break... |
6 (included in triathlons) |
| Half Ironman Ironman 70.3 An Ironman 70.3, also known as a Half Ironman, is one of a series of middle-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation . The "70.3" refers to the total distance in miles covered in the race, consisting of a swim, a bike ride, and a run... |
7 (included in triathlons) |
| Duathlons | 22 |
| Marathons (Boston Marathon Boston Marathon The Boston Marathon is an annual marathon hosted by the U.S. city of Boston, Massachusetts, on Patriots' Day, the third Monday of April. Begun in 1897 and inspired by the success of the first modern-day marathon competition in the 1896 Summer Olympics, the Boston Marathon is the world's oldest... s) |
69 (29) |
| 20 miles | 8 |
| 18.6 miles | 8 |
| Half Marathon Half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a... s |
92 |
| 20 km | 1 |
| 10 miles | 37 |
| 15 km | 8 |
| Falmouth 7.1 miles | 32 |
| 11 km | 2 |
| 10 km | 214 |
| 5 miles | 154 |
| 8 km | 4 |
| 7 km | 1 |
| 4 miles | 18 |
| 5 km | 140 |
Total events (as of June 2011): 1051
Source: TeamHoyt.com
External links
- Team Hoyt - Official website
- Photo Gallery: Team Hoyt at SportsIllustrated.com
- Interview with Dick Hoyt on July 16, 2007 after being honored, along with Rick, as TheFinalSprint.com's July 2007 Success Story
- The Wheels Of Life Sports Illustrated, April 18, 2011