httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wy8hOOvM0t0
Dick and Rick Hoyt are Father and son runners for many triathlons, running a combination of of 26.2 miles of running, 112 miles of bicycling, and 2.4 miles of swimming. Together they have climbed mountains, and once trekked 3,735 miles across America. Remarkably, Rick, Dick’s son is in a vegetable state–he can’t walk or talk. In fact, he uses a computer to communicate to his father. Yet despite this, for more than 25 years, both Rick and his father have participated in many marathons and triathlons. When his father runs, Rick is being pushed by a wheelchair. When Dick is cycling, Rick is in a seat-pod, which is attached to the bike. And when Dick is swimming, Rick is being pulled in boat. Dick never thought it would be possible to run, bike, or swim with his son, until one day Rick typed to his father, ”Dad, I want To do that.” Although Dick thought it was impossible, he still did it. That day changed Rick’s life when he typed, ”Dad, when we were running, It felt like I wasn’t disabled anymore!”
One of my favorite authors and speakers, Kris Vallaton, says that, “Love germinates in the soil of sacrifice, sprouts in the garden of surrender, and matures in the matrimony of servant hood. Love isn’t love unless it cost you something to give it away.” What really stood out to my about this story was the amount of sacrifice Rick’s father had to go through to do this for his son. After running with his son for the first time, Dick was sore for about 2 weeks! “Anyone can give something expensive, but only those who understand sacrifice can give something valuable.”
Dick Hoyt is an inspiration to me, and I hope one day, when I have a son, that I can share the same pure unconditional love to him.
