Imagine what you CAN do when you are inspired!!
Please read the following article and watch the video clip.
[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 and once hauled him across the U.S. On a bike. 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 during a race. Doctors found that one of his 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.''
12 comments:
Even though the thermostat in my home currently reads 77 degrees, you wouldn't know it by the goosebumps all over my arms--what an incredibly powerful story and video! As an athlete (or at least a former one...maybe!), I am always amazed by ANYONE who completes a marathon, or in this case multiple marathons and Ironmans--while pushing another person! In a world where so many people tend to have the "Me first" mentality, it is refreshing to read about a family that puts others' needs before their own. And what a testament to what can happen when you are inspired, have a goal, and refuse to accept anything less than achieving that goal. If we take even an ounce of that giving spirit into our classrooms, we are sure to make a difference.
Wow, makes you want to cry! What a touching story of dedication. Just goes to show that perseverance and patience are important lessons for children, their parents, and of course their teachers. Wouldn’t it be great if each of us could touch just one person in that way, especially the relationships with our spouse or own children? Then our classrooms and schools?
I've read about this story before and someone actually emailed me a video clip about these two. It's so inspiring, that it actually makes me feel worthless/lazy/uninspiring, etc. This story gives me goose bumps every time I read about it. If I can inspire people with one ounce of what this father does, I'll be a great teacher. It is possible for me to lift people up and give them joy in life. As a teacher I have access to this more than others do in other professions. Now it's my job to inspire my students and maximize their potential.
A very powerful reminder that seemingly impossible tasks can be achieved through perseverance, dedication, and caring for others. People who overcome challenges like the men in this story make my daily problems seem very insignificant. This story is motivating because it reminds me that I have the opportunity to help my students achieve their goals, regardless of how unobtainable they may seem at first. Also, I think that some young people lack perseverance and self-confidence..... teachers have the unique opportunity to help build these character traits in students. Helping students set and acheive goals is a very rewarding experience.
Wow. This makes my problems seem so insignificant. This shows what you can do when you look at the positive instead of the negative.
When I broke my ankle a few years ago and was waiting to go into the surgery room, I told my wife that it screwed up my plans for the whole summer. Her response was simply, "It could be worse." I think of these words every time something negative happens to me. Just remember, life becomes what we make of it. Hopefully I am instilling this value in my students.
What an incredible testimony of love! It does make me feel like I need to be doing more with my kids! Next time they want to bike into town...only 7 miles from our home...I'll have to think of this duo. Then get out and just do it! It pretty much shows that if there is a will, one will almost always find a way! Something I know that I need to be reminded of.
What a beautiful example of love for another. Love in ACTION and what joy the "giver" receives.
If I could inspire one child or family to have goals and to attain them with relationships and education...WOW! Incredible things would happen. I pray that I can be that kind of teacher!!
What a fantastic story and video. I had tears. The expression on their faces of joy and accomplishments was so neat to see!As a parent I understand why that father moved mountains for his child. I agree with Kris that there is so much "Me first" is was great to see this display of love between a father and his son and how it has inspired so many people!
My 9 year old son plays baseball and there is a special friend on the team. Every week he tries to hit the ball from the pitcher and after a many times he ends up hitting it off the "T". Last week, the last time at bat he hit the ball from the pitcher and the look was like the guy on the video! One of joy and accomplishment. Everyone was cheering for him as he ran to 1st base. It's great to see that accomplishments and let others feel the joy we get to feel when we work with children! Maybe this gave them a little peek into our world and why we do what we do!
Makes me wonder...why is my lazy butt parked at a computer watching a video about someone who's out there DOING? I'm going right now to ask my daughter if she wants to go do something outside. And, yes, I was crying within 15 seconds of the videos start. My kids caught me crying watching Bridge to Terabithia yesterday. I hate that.
This video is powerful. If a person is dedicated to reaching a goal and willing to work hard, he can go far. As an educator, it inspires me to keep on trying to reach all students. Of course, no one method is going to work for everyone, so I have to continue trying different methods to reach all of my students.
Wow... This video really shows what we are able to do when we put our minds to something. I'm sure running, swimming, and biking were not that easy at the start of the training but the Dad stuck with it and became successful. We need to remember that ALL of our students have the ability to be successful and it's our job to get that ability out of them.
I actually first saw this video in church. They used this video to paint a picture of God's love for us. The song that was used is by a Christian Band called Mercy Me. I went on to watch another video on Dick and Rick after that one. The following is a quote from Dick in that video:
“Rick is my motivator; he inspires me. To me, he is the one out there competing and I’m just loaning him my arms and legs so that he can compete. There’s just something that gets into me when I’m out there competing with Rick that I can’t explain it; we’re able to go faster and it’s just an unbelievable feeling.”
This truly is an incredible story. It's amazing how much stronger caring for others can make you.
The title of this “Inspired” says it all. I heard about this father and son from my best friend who had the privilege to hear Dick Hoyt speak at a conference she was attending for the Melting Pot, a restaurant she recently opened. She called me as soon as she returned all excited about this father and son. Just about a year after this conference her 21 year old son was killed in a car accident. She referred to Dick Hoyt’s speech for strength because it inspired her. She talked about all the joy she was able to share in the 21 years she had with him. Her strength was incredible.She shared a card someone wrote to her. It had this quote. “Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.” After reading our book and seeing the fun and joy in this story. I think the quote could be changed to “Some people come into our lives, leave laughter in our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.”
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