Mùa hè 1982 ở Boston từ trại tị-nạn Galang đến, chúng tôi coi cuộc chạy đua Boston Marathon lần đầu-tiên. Cuộc chạy đua đường trường 25 mile với vài chục ngàn người tham-dự. Ông Dick Hoyt là người duy-nhất chạy đẩy chiếc xe chở cậu con Rick tàn-tật trong đoàn lực-sĩ đủ mọi tầng-lớp. Hình ảnh cha con Ông Hoyt xuất-hiện mỗi năm trong cuộc chậy đua trở thành quen-thuộc và đặc-sắc nhất ở Boston. Mỗi năm con một lớn. Sau 20 năm, nét mặt con đã nhiều trưởng-thành. Hết 25, 30 năm, khuôn mặt con nhìn hốc-hác già-dặn hơn bố.
Nhiều năm, chuyện hai cha con Ông Hoyt được lên báo và truyền-hình. Nhờ vậy người ta biết được hoàn-cảnh gia-đình và tình-yêu của ông Hoyt với đứa con tàn-tật. Bây giờ Ô. Hoyt đã hơn 70, đã dự trên 1 ngàn cuộc thi, đoạt nhiều giải-thưởng mà cha con chưa nghĩ tới chuyện giải-nghệ.
Khi được hỏi muốn làm điều gì cho cha, cậu Rick trả lời: "Muốn Cha ngồi trên xe để tôi đẩy Cha chạy một lần."
Xin giới-thiệu quí bạn bài đọc và website của cha con Ô. Hoyt. Thiết nghĩ đây là một trong trăm ngàn trường-hợp minh-họa tình-yêu của người cha đối với con. Chúng ta cúi đầu tạ ơn cha mình.
Dick Hoyt pushing his son, Rick, in their first Boston Marathon (1981).
About Team Hoyt
The Early Years
Rick was born in 1962 to Dick and Judy Hoyt. As a result of oxygen deprivation to Rick's brain at the time of his birth, Rick was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. Dick and Judy were advised to institutionalize Rick because there was no chance of him recovering, and little hope for Rick to live a "normal" life. This was just the beginning of Dick and Judy's quest for Rick's inclusion in community, sports, education and one day, the workplace.
Dick and Judy soon realized that though Rick couldn't walk or speak; he was quite astute and his eyes would follow them around the room. They fought to integrate Rick into the public school system, pushing administrators to see beyond Rick's physical limitations. Dick and Judy would take Rick sledding and swimming, and even taught him the alphabet and basic words, like any other child. After providing concrete evidence of Rick's intellect and ability to learn like everyone else, Dick and Judy needed to find a way to help Rick communicate for himself. More...
The Beginning of Team Hoyt
In the spring of 1977, Rick told his father that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile benefit run for a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Far from being a long-distance runner, Dick agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair and they finished all 5 miles, coming in next to last. That night, Rick told his father, "Dad, when I'm running, it feels like I'm not handicapped."
This realization was just the beginning of what would become over 1,000 races completed, including marathons, duathlons and triathlons (6 of them being Ironman competitions). 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. More...
Rick was born in 1962 to Dick and Judy Hoyt. As a result of oxygen deprivation to Rick's brain at the time of his birth, Rick was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. Dick and Judy were advised to institutionalize Rick because there was no chance of him recovering, and little hope for Rick to live a "normal" life. This was just the beginning of Dick and Judy's quest for Rick's inclusion in community, sports, education and one day, the workplace.
Dick and Judy soon realized that though Rick couldn't walk or speak; he was quite astute and his eyes would follow them around the room. They fought to integrate Rick into the public school system, pushing administrators to see beyond Rick's physical limitations. Dick and Judy would take Rick sledding and swimming, and even taught him the alphabet and basic words, like any other child. After providing concrete evidence of Rick's intellect and ability to learn like everyone else, Dick and Judy needed to find a way to help Rick communicate for himself. More...
The Beginning of Team Hoyt
In the spring of 1977, Rick told his father that he wanted to participate in a 5-mile benefit run for a Lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Far from being a long-distance runner, Dick agreed to push Rick in his wheelchair and they finished all 5 miles, coming in next to last. That night, Rick told his father, "Dad, when I'm running, it feels like I'm not handicapped."
This realization was just the beginning of what would become over 1,000 races completed, including marathons, duathlons and triathlons (6 of them being Ironman competitions). 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. More...
