Breakfast with Dick

Last week Dick Hoyt passed away.  For those of you unfamiliar with him, he is the gentleman who became famous for pushing his son, Rick, in his wheelchair in numerous marathons, most notably in the Boston Marathon.  I had the honor of meeting him one morning prior to the Boston Marathon.  I don’t remember the exact year.  It was sometime in the early 2000’s when I was still active in wheelchair marathoning myself.

It was the morning of the race and I was in the hotel restaurant having breakfast with all of my friends (read: by myself) and preparing for the race.  He was by himself, introduced himself as Dick (not Dick Hoyt, not Mr. Hoyt, just Dick) and asked if he could join me.  He had no idea who I was and he never once mentioned who he was.  He was just another runner looking to hang out with another racer.  We talked for about 20 minutes.  I’d like to tell you about what that was but I don’t really remember because all I remember thinking was “I’m having breakfast with Dick Hoyt.”

Most of us racers have our 15 minutes of fame and are subsequently replaced with the next generation.  This man was a legend in the sport through 4 decades.  He was as responsible for bringing adaptive sports into the mainstream as any individual before or since.  But when you talk to him, he’s more concerned with hearing about you and your thoughts than with his accomplishments.  I don’t think he thought of himself as anything but a father just doing the right thing.  I think that’s what made him such an inspiration to so many people.

We finished our breakfast, wished each other well and went about our business.  No doubt he had a full itinerary of commitments to attend to before the race but I’d like to think that that 20 minutes away from the press of his responsibilities was relaxing for him.  I can tell you that I don’t really remember how I did that day but my performance wasn’t the most memorable part of that day.

Any of us who are involved with adaptive sports need to remember Dick fondly and never forget what his lifetime of involvement did to provide the opportunities we enjoy today.  I know I will.