Why would a father do that???
I first learned about Rick and Dick Hoyt in 1989 on ABC’s Wide World of Sports.
Rick and Dick, a father-son duo, were competing together in the IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii.
To fully appreciate WHY and HOW Rick and Dick were competing, you need to know the inspirational backstory.
In 1962, Rick Hoyt was strangled by the umbilical cord during birth. This complication resulted in spastic quadriplegia—a severe form of cerebral palsy. Rick’s parents, Dick and Judy, ignored the advice of medical professionals to place him in an institution. They were determined to raise and love him like any other child.
By the age of 11, through immense perseverance and a series of breakthroughs, Rick was fitted with a computer that allowed him to communicate. It soon became clear that Rick was intelligent, loved sports, and had a wonderful sense of humor.
At the age of 16, Rick learned of a charity road race to support a paralyzed lacrosse player from his school. Using his communicator, Rick announced his desire to “run” to support his classmate. Rick’s dad, Dick, a forty-year-old retired lieutenant colonel in the Air National Guard, agreed to help. Even though he was out of shape, Dick pushed his son in a wheelchair for the entire five-mile run. They finished next-to-last.
That evening, Rick typed a message that would change their lives:
“Dad, when we were running, it felt like I wasn’t disabled anymore.”
What would YOU DO if that message came from your child?
I bet you’d do what Dick did. He started training.
Rick and Dick first participated in short races, then marathons, and then triathlons. They eventually competed in the 1989 IRONMAN World Championship in Hawaii. That’s when I saw them on TV.
For the 2.4-mile swim, Dick pulled his son in an inflatable boat attached to a bungee cord. For the 112-mile bike ride, Rick sat in a specialized seat on Dick’s handlebars. This was all topped off by a 26.2-mile marathon, where Dick pushed Rick in a custom-made wheelchair. They completed the race in about fourteen hours.
Together, the Hoyts competed in over 72 marathons, including 32 in Boston. (During the 2013 Boston Marathon, Rick and Dick were just a mile from completing the race when bombs exploded near the finish line.) They also took part in 257 triathlons, including 6 at the IRONMAN distance, along with many other races and events beyond that.
(If you’re interested, just Google “Rick and Dick Hoyt.” You’ll find a mountain of stories, interviews, and inspirational videos.)
So…what was your first reaction to the Rick and Dick Hoyt story?
If you’re like me, your response might sound something like this: “257 triathlons and 72 marathons for a father and disabled son? What an inspirational story! But I’m no Dick Hoyt.”
If that’s what you hear between your ears, please let me break this to you gently.
Actually, you are.
YOU ARE Dick Hoyt. There are people in your life, your community, and maybe even around the world to whom you are EVERY BIT as valuable, vital, and transformational as Dick was for his son Rick.
It doesn’t matter whether your life is headline- or hall-of-fame-worthy. What matters is that you find and use your heart, strengths, faith, experiences, relationships, and resources to make a difference and do something that truly matters.
I may or may not know you personally. Either way, here’s what I ABSOLUTELY believe to be true about you:
There are causes on your heart and people you want to help. That’s who you are. It’s your DNA. Those causes and those people give your life purpose.
Those people NEED you. They need your talent, your ideas, your creativity, your compassion, your resolve, and your solutions. They need your faith and your love.
The futures of others depend on you. And that’s just fine—because that’s when you shine.
I’m making these claims because I believe they reflect your PURPOSE.
Purpose (sometimes called your “why”) gives your life direction and meaning.
And if you’re trapped in a hole, purpose is your reason to escape.
Over the next several weeks, we’re going to talk about an important and sometimes misunderstood topic—YOUR PURPOSE.
This week I want to invite you to consider three simple questions.
What would you say if I asked you to tell me your purpose?
On most days, do you feel like you are actually LIVING your purpose? Why or why not?
If you answered “NO,” I’d like you to take some time and reflect or daydream on this question: What would it look like for you to live your life with purpose?
I don’t want my introduction about Rick and Dick Hoyt to overwhelm you. But I don’t want you to undervalue or underestimate your purpose either.
For now, simply focus on YOU. Your talents. Your faith. Your circumstance. The people you love and care about. And your opportunities.
Reflect. Daydream. And we’ll pick this back up next week.
Before I go—I want you to know that everything I said about you above is sincere.
I believe in you with all my heart.
I’m looking forward to a great conversation in the weeks to come.
Until next time,
John Alan
