WF Pride
Willingness and Desire to Sacrifice and Serve
Chad Cottingham
Dick Hoyt completed his 32nd Boston Marathon in April of 2014. Pretty impressive for a man 74 years old. Even more impressive is that he has been pushing his son, Rick, age 53, in a specialized wheel-chair in all of them. Rick Hoyt was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth after his umbilical cord became twisted around his neck, which caused the blockage of oxygen flow. As a result, his brain cannot send the correct messages to his muscles. Dick Hoyt became the legs for his son. They are now known as Team Hoyt.
Team Hoyt began in 1977 when Rick asked his father if they could run in a race together to benefit a lacrosse player at his school who had become paralyzed. He wanted to prove that life went on no matter your disability. Dick Hoyt was not a runner and was 36 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. Dick was able to improve his fitness so much that even with pushing his son, he was able to obtain a personal record of a 5 km run in 17 minutes.
As of April 2014, the Hoyts had competed in 1,108 endurance events, including 72 marathons and six Ironman triathlons. They had run the Boston Marathon 32 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. Dick Hoyt’s dedication, love and sacrifice for his son is absolutely awe inspiring and tear jerking. It is an ultimate example of sacrifice and service.
As we run the race of life, keep in mind that there is another sacrifice even greater than this. Jesus Christ gave his own life as a sacrifice for all of us so that we can spend eternity with him. It is a free gift from God, all we have to do is accept it. Romans 6:23 ‘For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’ ~ NLT
“Dear Lord, thank you for sending your son, Jesus, to take our place on the cross. Thank you for making the ultimate sacrifice as a father. Thank you for giving us the free gift of salvation, for it’s in Jesus name we pray, Amen”