CAN

Today in church we were talking about fathers and the role that they hold within the family. At the end of the lesson, our teachers showed us a great example of a good father. This story is so incredibly touching that I had to share with all of you (be prepared to shed a few tears).

Dick Hoyt and his wife Tamara had a child born with cerebral palsy. The child is named Rick. Because of his disability, Rick cannot walk or talk. He is confined to a wheelchair because he has no control over his muscles. One day when Rick was a little bit older, his neighborhood was holding a charity 5K run and he told his dad (he communicates through a computer that writes out his thoughts using slight head movements) that he wanted to run in the race. Knowing that his son could not physically do this, Dick decided to run the race while pushing Rick in a wheelchair (it might be important to know that Dick had not run a day in his life previously). They finished second to last, but Rick was so happy that he told his father that he did not feel handicapped when they were in the competition. That first race started a life time of racing for the father son team. After many years, these are some of their achievements. 

216 Triathlons, 6 Ironman distances

20 Duathlons

65 Marathons, 25 Boston Marathons

They have also biked and ran across the USA in 1992 with a total of 3,735 miles in 45 consecutive days.

This video illustrates the relationship that this amazing dad has with his son. 

I can't figure out how to get the actual video on my blog so go here to watch it. 

I promise you, it's worth your time.