Rick Hoyt, who rose to fame as half of the father-son endurance duo “Team Hoyt,” has died of respiratory complications at age 61.
“As so many knew, 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,” said the Hoyt Foundation in a Facebook post announcing Rick’s passing. He was preceded in death by his father in 2021.
The pair made headlines in the endurance world starting in 1977, when Dick began pushing Rick in a wheelchair at local road races. Rick, diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth, was paralyzed in all four limbs and utilized a computer to communicate.
The father-son team’s first race together was a local five-mile charity run benefiting a lacrosse player who had been paralyzed in an accident. Rick told his dad that he wanted to run the race, and Dick advocated to make it happen, kicking off the pair’s legendary endurance sports career.
