Rick Hoyt is a Boston Marathon legend. He ran multiple marathons in a wheelchair pushed by his father, Dick Hoyt. But who is Dick Hoyt and where is he these days? Dick and Rick Hoyt of Holland, Massachusetts are known as Team Hoyt. The Hoyts have competed in a variety of sports together, including over 30 Boston Marathons and Ironman triathlons. Hoyt, who was younger, had cerebral palsy and needed a wheelchair. In 2008, Hoyt received ESPN’s Jimmy V Award and was inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame. Rick Hoyt died on May 22, 2023, in Leicester, Massachusetts, of respiratory problems. But where did Rick Hoyt’s father go? Dick Hoyt, is he still alive?
Who was Rick Hoyt’s father, Dick Hoyt? Wiki and Dob
Dick Hoyt, Rick Hoyt’s father, was born on June 1, 1940 in Winchester, Massachusetts, USA. Dick Hoyt’s father and mother were Alfred Hoyt and Anna Jaworski. Anna was a devoted homemaker while Alfred worked as a used car dealer. Elder Hoyt grew up in the North Reading neighborhood. Rick Hoyt’s father attended North Reading High School and played quarterback for the team.
Dick Hoyt married his high school sweetheart, Judy Leighton, shortly after graduation in 1961. The head cheerleader was Dick Hoyt’s wife. Judy Hoyt (Leighton), Rick Hoyt’s mother, started Kamp for Kids in the late 1970s. Camp For Kids enabled children with and without disabilities to camp together. Furthermore, Dick Hoyt served in the Army and Air National Guard for nearly four decades (37 years). After his and his son’s racing success, the elder Hoyt developed a career as an inspirational speaker, giving more than 100 lectures each year.
Dick and Judy Hoyt were the delighted parents of three boys, Rick, Russ and Rob. Dick Hoyt, a longtime icon of the Boston Marathon, passed away on March 17, 2021. He reportedly died in his sleep at his home in the Netherlands after health problems. Judy Hoyt, Rick Hoyt’s mother, died in 2010.
Dick and Rick Hoyt’s running successes
Rick Hoyt was born on January 10, 1962 with cerebral palsy. He could not move his muscles or speak. Dick noted in his book “Dedicated: The Story of a Father’s Love for a Son” that it took him longer to understand how to interpret Rick’s nods and smiles. However, engineers at Tufts University developed a computer in 1972 that allowed Rick to select letters by touching his skull. Rick’s first words were “Go Bruins”. Team Hoyt was founded in 1977 after Rick asked his father if they could run a race together to help a lacrosse player at his school who was paralyzed.
Dick Hoyt was 36 years old at the time. The former Air National Guard lieutenant colonel was no runner. However, he decides to run away with his son. After their first race, Rick informed his father, “Dad, when I run, I don’t seem handicapped.” Rick’s father then started running every day with a bag of cement in his wheelchair. He has improved his fitness significantly. Despite pushing Rick in a wheelchair, the elder Hoyt ran the 5K in 17 minutes, setting a new personal best. In 1992, Team Hoyt ran the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington and Virginia in 2 hours 40 minutes 47 seconds. Despite his added weight, Hoyt finished first in the 50-59 age group. Dick and Rick Hoyt completed the 2014 Boston Marathon, their last event together.
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Source: HIS Education