A father and son story has caught the attention of national media, and the father will be at Qwest Arena on Wednesday, August 1st at 7:00 pm to share it. Team Hoyt, father Dick and son Rick, made headlines when together they began competing in marathons and triathlons (combination of 26.2 miles of running, 112 miles of bicycling, and 2.4 miles of swimming). Together they have climbed mountains, and once trekked 3,735 miles across America.
What makes the story so remarkable is that Rick was born in 1962 as a spastic quadriplegic, cerebral palsy, non-speaking person. At Rick’s birth, the umbilical cord coiled around his neck and cut off oxygen to his brain. Dick and his wife, Judy, were told that there would be no hope for their child’s development. Despite the prognosis, Rick is a graduate of Boston University.
The story touches close to home for the 2007 Kelly Cup Champion Idaho Steelheads. At the start of the Steelheads season, Head Coach Derek Laxdal, looking to find a motto for his team came across the Team Hoyt “yes you can” story. He shared the story with his team during a preseason presentation, incorporated their message into his training camp video and had t-shirts made for the team with the word “CAN” on the back. Every time the team faced difficulty during the season, they thought about the Team Hoyt story and the “yes you can” motto.
“The inspiration of Dick and Rick Hoyt competing in triathlons and overcoming adversity made us realize that if they can do it, surely we can,” said Coach Laxdal.
Coach Laxdal will present Steelheads jerseys and a signed championship team photo to Team Hoyt on Wednesday at Qwest Arena.
The goal of Team Hoyt is to integrate the physically challenged into everyday life. One way to accomplish this is to educate the able-bodied, making them more aware of the issues that the disabled face every day. Another is by actively helping the disabled to participate in activities that would otherwise be inaccessible to them. Team Hoyt targets both of these areas.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the Qwest Arena Box Office, by phone (208) 331.TIXS (8497), toll free (888) 330.TIXS (8497), or online using the print at home feature at www.qwestarenaidaho.com.
St. Lukes Idaho Elks Rehabilitation Services will donated all proceeds from Wednesday’s event to United Cerebral Palsy of Idaho.
– www.qwestarenaidaho.com –