Rick Hoyt, who used a wheelchair to complete the Boston Marathon 36 times and who later became known as an icon of the legendary race, passed away at the age of 61.
Hoyt died of complications with his respiratory system, his family announced on Monday.
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“Rick along with our father, Dick, were icons in the road race and triathlon worlds for over 40 years and inspired millions of people with disabilities to believe in themselves, set goals and accomplish extraordinary things,” the Hoyt family said in a statement.
The Boston Athletic Association presents a Rick & Dick Hoyt Award each April to someone who exhibits their spirit through advocacy and inclusion.
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“Rick Hoyt will always be remembered as a Boston Marathon icon and for personifying the `Yes You Can’ mentality that defined Team Hoyt,” the BAA said in a statement. “We are fortunate to have been able to call Rick a friend, mentor, pioneer, and Boston Marathon finisher.”
Hoyt was born without the ability to move his arms or legs due to cerebral palsy. He communicated via computer.
Dick and Rick Hoyt gained a lot of recognition in the endurance community starting in 1977. Their remarkable journey began when Dick began pushing Rick while he was in a wheelchair during local road races.
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They competed in their first race as a father-son team at a nearby five-mile charity run that was set up to aid a lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. The beginning of their illustrious career in endurance sports began when Rick expressed his desire to take part in the race to his father, who fervently supported it.
The father-and-son team took part in more than 1,000 additional competitions, such as duathlons and triathlons. In 1992, they finished a run and bike across the United States, covering 6,010 kilometers in 45 days. In Hopkinton, Massachusetts, a statue of a father and son was built close to the Boston Marathon’s starting line in 2013.
Dick Hoyt passed away in 2021.
