Team Hoyt – Maybe the World’s Most Inspirational Father and Son Team
By inspiredKiD
Note: We originally featured this story in 2010 but wanted to bring back as The Hoyt’s will be honored with a bronze statue at the Boston Marathon this April!
This is the story of a father’s incredible devotion to his son. His son has cerebral palsy. Despite this, they have competed together in over 1,000 athletic events around the world!
While Mr. Hoyt first started participating in sports to inspire his son, now they are both focused on inspiring others. In fact, at the start of the 2013 Boston Marathon, a bronze statue will be unveiled to honor The Hoyt’s! It will be the 31st time they have run the race together.
Below are two videos that tell this incredible story. We are now including a very recent video about Team Hoyt thanks to Dick’s Sporting Goods. We appreciate their efforts to bring attention to this amazing father and son, and the power we all have to make a difference in the world.
Additional Resources:
- Here is an article that tells the Hoyts’ story and contains a letter Rick wrote about his dad.
- Here is a link to another video in which Dick talks about how Rick inspires him.
Topics for Discussion:
- What qualities does Dick have that enable him to show such amazing devotion to his son?
- Dick talks about being able to run faster when he’s pushing Rick. Have you ever done something better when you’ve done it for someone else?
Take Action:
- Visit the Team Hoyt website to learn more about the Hoyts and how you can get involved.
- Visit the 4 My Child website to learn more about cerebral palsy and how you can help people with this disease.
Teacher Features:
- Here is a link to a Critical Reading Skills worksheet that you can use for elementary school students.
- Here is a link to a Critical Reading Skills worksheet that you can use for middle school students.
