Sports Illustrated did a great piece on Dick Hoyt and his commitment to his handicapped son. There is also a link to short video on them on YouTube...
"[From Sports Illustrated, By Rick Reilly]
I try to be a good father. Give my kids mulligans. Work nights to pay For their text messaging. Take them to swimsuit shoots.But compared with Dick Hoyt, I suck.
Eighty-five times he's pushed his disabled son, Rick, 26.2 miles in Marathons. Eight times he's not only pushed him 26.2 miles in a Wheelchair but also towed him 2.4 miles in a dinghy while swimming and Pedaled him 112 miles in a seat on the handlebars--all in the same day...."
As a former Boston-area resident, the Hoyts story is legendary. And as my wife is a marathoner, I have had the good fortune of seeing them up close. It is truly an inspiring story. But why would the author think he sucks? Some people think Dick Hoyt is a nut for doing what he does. Many of us do things that are just as supportive as the elder Hoyt in the eyes of someone else... it's more than likely that it is not on a national stage.
Posted by: Mike Maddaloni | January 29, 2007 at 12:25 AM
No comment...
Posted by: Jean-carl | January 29, 2007 at 01:13 PM
Good point. As they say, the key to raising a resilient child is that at least one adult in its life reaffirms and loves it. So, that puts all of into the game without extraordinary efforts. :-)
I would imagine that Reilly was commenting on how much commitment and time Dick has spent with a son that has very limited ability to engage. A lot of us spend time with kids, but there is a lot of immediate gratification, interaction and reward. Dick's reward is more subtle or subdued.
Posted by: mbmccall | January 29, 2007 at 04:55 PM