Yes You Can

Wow!

Really, that is all I can say right now.

My son and I had the unbelievable opportunity tonight to hear Dick Hoyt of Team Hoyt speak at the Bellin Run kick off celebration.  What a humble, amazing individual!

Dick Hoyt, true inspiration to many!

For anyone not familiar with Team Hoyt and what they have accomplished, you can find their entire store here at Team Hoyt.  Rick was born a spastic quadriplegic and would never be able to walk or talk.  Equipped with a special computer, Rick was able to attend public school and continue to learn and thrive, despite his disability. When he was 15, Rick asked his father (Dick) if they could run a 5 mile race that was being organized to help raise funds for a classmate who was injured in an accident.  Dick pushed Rick in a stroller through the entire 5 miles, despite the fact that everyone thought they would just run down to the corner and turn around.  They finished next to last, but they finished!  That night, Rick told his father that when he runs, he felt like his disability disappeared.  That was the start of something amazing.

From that day in 1977, they started competing together and have participated in over 1000 events including marathons, triathlons and and Iron Man competitions.  I sit here and think about my training runs and races that I have done over the last year.  Many days, I sometimes struggles just to get one foot in front of the other, getting myself across the finish line.  I could not imagine completing some of these endurance events on my own, let alone getting someone else across the finish line!  Swim over 2 miles pulling someone in an inflatable raft? Bike 100+ miles with someone else riding on the front of the bike? Run 26.2 miles pushing someone in a stroller?  Doing any one of these activities would be more than most people would be able to do.  Dick did just that on a regular basis with Rick.  That is true inspiration, and an unbelievable bond between a father and son.

Tonight Dick was in Green Bay to share their amazing story.  And in reality, amazing does not even begin to describe what Team Hoyt has done.  Here is a man who runs for his son, so that his son can experience everything that life has to offer. One of the many accomplishments that Dick spoke about tonight was their cross country adventure, 3,700+ miles from California to Boston - in 45 days.  Not only did they complete what everyone told them was impossible, they ended their journey at Fenway Park where there Red Sox were playing at home, stayed for the game and then got up the next morning and completed a triathlon! I got tired just thinking about it - but they completed it! Through their many challenges that they had to face to even participate in some of these endurance events has paved the way for challenged athletes today.  

 Hearing their story first hand really shows you that, although you may only be one person, you can make a difference.  It might be for one person or it might be for many, but you can make a difference.

After seeing myTEAM TRIUMPH in action of the the last few years, this year will be the first year that I will be running as an Angel for mTT and I was a very proud mom when I found out that Darrin also decided that he is going to join the mTT Angel team and run the Bellin 10k and Packers 5k, helping to make someone else dreams a reality.  Sometimes it's not about doing it for you.

Meeting Dick Hoyt at the Bellin Run kick off Celebration

So, no matter why you think you can't do something, just remember, 

Yes you can!

Thank you Bellin and myTEAM TRIUMPH for bringing Dick Hoyt to Green Bay!  Thank you Dick for everything that you have done and continue to do!  This will be an experience that I know we will remember for a long time to come!