The People, Process, & Progress Podcast - Yes, You Can! | FF10

Episode Date: March 19, 2021

Wishing the Hoyt family Godspeed in this "Foundations Friday 10: Yes You Can!" as Dick Hoyt passed away in March 2019.

Rick Hoyt was born in 1962 to Dick and Judy Hoyt. As a result of oxygen deprivation to Rick's brain at the time of his birth, Rick was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy. Dick and Judy were advised to institutionalize Rick because there was no chance of his recovery or to have a normal life. Little did the world know that this was just the beginning of the journey for Team Hoyt. Over the next few decades, Dick Hoyt would push Rick Hoyt, carry him, swim with him. Because in 1977, Rick told his father,

Dad, when I'm running, it feels like I'm not handicapped. This was a big part and the start of the Yes You Can and Team Hoyt inspiration and movement. Over the next few decades, the Hoyts would do over a thousand races. Some of those include 257 triathlons, 22 duathlons, 72 marathons, a bunch of those almost half were Boston marathons, eight 18.6 milers, 97 half marathons, 120k, 37 10 milers, 37 falma, 7.1 milers, 8 15ks, 219 10ks, 162 5 milers, 4 8ks, 18 4 milers, 176 5ks, 8 20 milers, 2 11ks, 1 7k, and one 20 mile bike for best buddies. And this is from the teamhoyt.com website as of 2016. To say that that is amazing and this shows the astounding ability of the mindset, yes, you can, is an understatement.

I had heard of Dick Hoyt. I'd seen specials. And unfortunately, the world lost someone who did so much for his son and to inspire others this week. Dick Hoyt died at the age of 80 earlier this week. And we wish him and his family Godspeed. And I think a great message for this Foundation's Friday 10 is yes, you can.

Yes, you can get up early and exercise in whatever form that is. Yes, you can get through that meeting where there's tough decisions. Yes, you can help your kids get through the school year. Yes, you can get back to normal. I think if we all think about when we're in hard places, when we're having a tough day, when we feel like a failure,

when we're scared, when we're losing in a game or a jiu-jitsu match, or not lifting the weights we want to, sometimes we won't make it. But if we keep thinking, yes, you can, it helps give us perspective. If we think of the Hoyts and the love and the power output and the inspiration that we got from Dick Hoyt as he carried, swam with, pulled, pushed his son throughout those over a thousand mental and physical trials on the water, on the land, and so many different avenues that led to developing Hoyt chairs

as a product line for others to use, Hoyt running chairs, which is pretty amazing. I think we need more of yes you can these days than we need to hear of negative things that we hear about all the time. So when you're having a rough time, think of Dick Hoyt, carrying his son, swimming with him, running marathon after marathon, pushing him in a chair, taking care of him every day. While the physical push of all those sporting events and runs is admirable, think about that and those that are doing that every day, both in their homes, taking full care of those with disabilities.

For those that, yes, you can work that extra shift and treat that patient. Yes, you can clock in and help those in your community by responding to their 911 calls. Yes, you can bring that new team together that doesn't seem like they're going to get along. Yes, you can do one more push-up. I thank you all so much for saying yes, you can and listening to this show. Please reach out to me at peopleprocessprogress at gmail.com. Check out the website, peopleprocessprogress.com. I wish you all the best. I hope you're staying safe.

Wash your hands. Godspeed.