January 30, 2014
Marathoner, triathlete Dick Hoyt is keynote speaker at Freshman Family Weekend
Dick Hoyt, who has pushed his handicapped son in a wheelchair in more than 1,000 competitions around the world, including marathons and Ironman triathlons, was the keynote speaker during Freshman Family Weekend in November.
More than 1,200 people filled the Peterson Recreation Center to hear Hoyt’s presentation, greeting him with a standing ovation.
In addition to being impressed by Hoyt’s athletic accomplishments — he is 73 years old — many were touched by his devotion to his son, Rick, who was born with cerebral palsy 51 years ago. Doctors advised the Hoyts to institutionalize their son, who they said would be “a vegetable.” But today Rick Hoyt is a college graduate living independently in Boston with the help of an aide.
