Location: Boston, Massachusetts, USA (and races worldwide, 1977–2021) 🇺🇲 🌎
Story: In 1962, Dick and Judy Hoyt were told their newborn son, Rick, was a "vegetable" due to oxygen deprivation at birth, and they should institutionalize him. They refused. Rick grew up nonverbal and quadriplegic but learned to communicate via a computer. At 15, after learning about a charity 5K race, Rick typed: "Dad, I want to run." Dick, a 36-year-old non-athlete, pushed his son's wheelchair the entire race. Afterward, Rick typed life-changing words: "When we were running, it felt like I wasn't disabled." 🌋
Twist: That moment launched Team Hoyt. For over 40 years, Dick became his son's body. He pushed Rick in a custom racing chair through 1,130 races, including 72 marathons (32 Boston Marathons) and 257 triathlons. For the swim, Dick towed Rick in a boat; for the bike, Rick rode in a front seat; for the run, Dick pushed him. Rick, who later earned a college degree, became the team's "heart and motivation," while Dick, who underwent heart surgery and battled age said, "I run so my son can feel free." When Dick died in 2021, the world mourned a father who literally carried his son to the finish line a thousand times, proving that love can move mountains,and marathons. 🎉