Rick Hoyt is a living legend of the Boston Marathon. He completed several marathons while being pushed by his father, Dick Hoyt. But who is Dick Hoyt, and where is he now?
Dick and Rick Hoyt of Holland, Massachusetts, are known as the Hoyt brothers. The Hoyts participated in numerous sports, including over 30 Boston Marathons and Ironman Triathlons. Hoyt, who was younger, suffered from cerebral palsy and required a wheelchair.
The Hoyt got ESPN’s Jimmy V Award and was inducted into the Ironman Hall of Fame in 2008. Rick Hoyt died of respiratory complications on May 22, 2023, in Leicester, Massachusetts. But where has Rick Hoyt’s father disappeared to? Is Dick Hoyt still alive?
Who Was Rick Hoyt’s Father, Dick Hoyt? Wiki and Age
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Rick Hoyt’s father, Dick Hoyt, was born on June 1, 1940 in Winchester, Massachusetts, USA. Alfred Hoyt and Anna Jaworski were Dick Hoyt’s father and mother. Alfred worked as a used car dealer, while Anna was a committed homemaker. Elder Hoyt grew up in the North Reading area. Rick Hoyt’s father went to North Reading High School and played quarterback.
Dick Hoyt married Judy Leighton, his high school sweetheart, shortly after graduation in 1961. Dick Hoyt’s wife was in charge of the cheerleaders. Rick Hoyt’s mother, Judy Hoyt (Leighton), founded Kamp for Kids in the late 1970s. Kamp For Kids provided opportunities for children with and without disabilities to camp together.
Dick Hoyt also served in the Army and Air National Guard for nearly four decades (37 years). Following the success of his and his son’s running careers, older Hoyt went on to become an inspirational speaker, giving over 100 speeches every year.
Dick and Judy Hoyt were overjoyed with their three sons, Rick, Russ, and Rob. Dick Hoyt, a long-time Boston Marathon symbol, died on March 17, 2021. After suffering from health concerns, he was purportedly killed in his sleep at his Holland house. Rick Hoyt’s mother, Judy Hoyt, died in 2010.
Dick and Rick Hoyt Running Achievements
Rick Hoyt was born with cerebral palsy on January 10, 1962. He was unable to move his muscles or speak. Dick admitted in his book “Devoted: The Story of a Father’s Love For His Son” that it took him a while to find out how to interpret Rick’s nods and grins.
Tufts University engineers, on the other hand, created a computer in 1972 that allowed Rick to pick letters by tapping his head. Rick’s first words were “Go, Bruins.” Team Hoyt was created in 1977 after Rick asked his father if they might run a race together to help a disabled lacrosse player at his school.
Dick Hoyt was 36 years old at the time. The former lieutenant colonel of the Air National Guard was not a runner. He does, however, decide to flee with his son. Rick told his father after their first race, “Dad when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.” Rick’s father then began jogging every day in his wheelchair while carrying a bag of cement.
He significantly increased his fitness level. Senior Hoyt raced a 5K in 17 minutes while pushing Rick in a wheelchair, setting a new personal best. Team Hoyt completed the Marine Corps Marathon in Washington and Virginia in 2 hours, 40 minutes, and 47 seconds in 1992. Despite his extra weight, Hoyt finished first in the 50-to-59 age group. Dick and Rick Hoyt finished the Boston Marathon in 2014, their final event together.
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