Inspirational Boston Marathon Dad Dick Hoyt Dies at 80

I’ve heard countless stories from parents of adult disabled children about the prognosis and future predictions they were given.

And not a lot of them were good.

Parents were told to institutionalize their babies. Even, ‘go home, try again.’ And one, ‘forget about this one, have another.’

It was no different for Dick Hoyt and his wife Judy in 1962 when their son Rick was born. Rick was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy, as a result of oxygen deprivation to Rick’s brain at the time of his birth.

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.

Dick Hoyt made a point to prove those doctors wrong.

“We cried, but we talked and we said, “No, we’re not going to put Rick away. We’re gonna bring Rick home and bring him up like any other child,'” Dick Hoyt told ABC News in a past interview.

His family, especially Judy, did all they could to ensure that he had access to the opportunities as any growing kid would have. But they knew it was not going to be easy and were up for a challenge.

In 1977, Rick Hoyt asked his father if they could run in a charity race together. Dick Hoyt would push his son’s custom wheelchair the entire way, crossing the finish line together.

“When we got home that night, Rick wrote on his computer, ‘Dad, when I’m running, it feels like my disability disappears.’

The pair would go on to run the Boston Marathon 32 times and more than 1,000 races in all.

Dick Hoyt passed away overnight at the age of 80.

Now remembered as a great athlete and father, Hoyt once shared his secret to success.

“I think that Rick has, you know, really made me fulfill my life as a father,” he said.

“What’s the secret? Just having a great son, I guess.”

Never underestimate the love and devotion of a parent and a truly amazing child. To Dick and his wife, there was no less then. And the limitations they did face, they found a way to overcome.

Thank you Dick for paving the way for parents like me. You leave some pretty big shoes to fill.

You can follow them at Team Hoyt and click HERE to learn more about their foundation.