👨🦽❤️ “When I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.”
One sentence. One boy. And everything changed.
Rick Hoyt was born in 1962 with cerebral palsy — unable to speak or move on his own. Doctors said, “Institutionalize him.”
But his parents refused. They saw his mind. His spirit. His right to live fully. 🧠🔥
At 11, Rick got his first communication device. His first message?
“Go Bruins!” 🏒
That spark lit a fire.
In 1977, Rick asked his dad, Dick, if they could run a race together.
So Dick pushed him for five miles in a wheelchair. When they crossed the finish line, Rick said the words that would define their lives:
“Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.”
That’s when Team Hoyt was born. 🏃♂️💨
From then on, Dick loaned Rick his legs and lungs — through more than 1,100 races.
32 Boston Marathons. Ironman triathlons.
Even a 3,735-mile journey across America.
He swam while pulling Rick in a raft.
Biked with him in a special seat.
Ran while pushing him every step of the way. 💪🚴♂️🏊♂️
Dick called it love.
Rick called it freedom.
Their story wasn’t just about sports — it was about dignity, devotion, and the unstoppable power of belief. 🌟
Dick passed in 2021. Rick in 2023.
But their legacy runs on — in the Hoyt Foundation, and in every person with a disability who dares to dream because of them. 🕊️👣
Because love doesn’t stop at limitations.
Sometimes, it runs marathons.