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里克·赖利/RickReilly
Itrytobeagoodfather.Giveykidsgifts.Takethetoswi.Worknightstopayfortheirtextssagg...
ButparedwithDickHoyt,I’aloy.Eighty-fivetishe’sphedhisdisabledson,Rick,26.2ilesarathotishe’snotonlyphedhi26.2ilesawheelchairbutalsotowedhi2.4ilesadghywhilesedaledhi112ilesaseatonbicyclehandlebars—allthesaday.Dick’salsopulledhicross-untryskig,takenhionhisbackountaclibgandoncehauledhiaeptsavehislife.
ThislovestorybeganWchester,Mass.43yearsago,whenRickwasstrangledbytheubilicalrddurgbirth,leavghibra-daagedanduontrolhislibs.“He’llbeavegetabletherestofhislife,”DicksaysdoctorstoldhiandhiswifewhenRickwashsold.“Puthianstitution.”
ButtheHoytsweren’tbuygit.TheynoticedthewayRick’seyesfollowedthearoundtheroo.WhenRickwas11theytookhitotheengeergdepartntatTuftsUyandaskediftherewasanythgtohelptheboyunicate.“Noway,”Dicksayshewastold.“There’snothggogonhisbra.”
“Tellhiajoke,”Ditered.Theydid.Rickughed.Turnsoutalotwasgogonhisbra.Riggedupwithaputerthatallowedhitontrolthecursorbytouchgaswitchwiththesideofhishead,Rickwasfallyabletounicate.Firstwords?“GoBr!”Andafterahighschoolcssatearalyzedanaidentandtheschoolanizedacharityrunforhi,Rickpeckedout,“Dad,Iwanttodothat.”
Yeah,right.HowwasDick,aself-described“porker”whoneverrahanaileatati,gogtophhissonfiveiles?Still,hetried.“Thenitwaswhowashandicapped,”Dicksays.“Iwassoreforoweeks.”ThatdaygedRick’slife.“Dad,”hetyped,“whenwewererunng,itfeltlikeIwasn’tdisabledanyore!”
AndthatsentencegedDick’slife.HebecaobsessedwithgivgRickthatfeelgasoftenasheuld.Hegottosuchhard-bellyshapethatheandRickwerereadytotrythe1979BostonMarathon.“Noway.”Dickwastoldbyaraceofficial.TheHoytsweren’tquiteasglerunner,andtheyweren’tquiteawheelchairpetitor.
ForafewyearsDidRickjtjoedtheassivefieldandrananyway,thentheyfoundawaytogettotheraceofficially:In1983theyrananotherarathonsofasttheyadethequalifygtiforBostonthefollogyear.
Thensobodysaid,“Hey,Dick,whynotatriathlon?”How’saguywhoneverlearoswiandhadn’triddenabikescehewassixgogtohaulhis110-poundkidthroughatriathlon?Still,Dicktried.Nowthey’vedone212triathlons,cdgfruelg15-hourIronansHawaii.Ittbeabuzzkilltobea25-year-oldstudgettgpassedbyanoldguytogagrownanadghy,don’tyouthk?
Hey,Dick,whynotseehowyou’ddoonyourown?“Noway.”hesays.Dickdoesitpurelyfor“theawesofeelg”hegetsseegRickwithataloupesileastheyrun,swiandridetogether.Thisyear,atages65and43,DidRickfishedtheir24thBostonMarathon,5,083rdpceoutoforethan20,000starters.Theirbestti?Twohours,40utes1992—only35utesofftheworldrerd,which,caseyoudon’tkeeptrackofthesethgs,happenstobeheldbyaguywhowasnotphganotheranawheelchairattheti.“Noquestionaboutit,”Ricktypes.“MydadistheFatherofthetury.”
AndDickgotsothgelseoutofallthistoo.Twoyearsagohehadaildheartattackdurgarace.Doctorsfoundthatoneofhisarterieswas95clogged.“Ifyouhadn’tbeensuchgreatshape,”onedoctortoldhi,“youprobablywould’vedied15yearsago.”So,away,DidRicksavedeachother’slife.
Rick,whohashisoartshocareandworksBoston,andDick,retiredfrotheilitaryandlivgHolnd,Mass.alwaysfdwaystobetogether.Theygivespeechesaroundtheuntryaesobackbreakgraceeveryweekend,cdgthisFather’sDay.
Thatnight,Rickwillbuyhisdaddner,butthethghereallywantstogivehiisagiftheeverbuy.“ThethgI’dostlike,”Ricktypes,“isthatydadsitthechairandIphhionce.”
我努力去做一个好爸爸。我送孩子们礼物，带他们去游泳，上夜班为他们挣信息费……
但是，与迪克·霍伊特相比，我是一个糟糕的父亲。有85次，他在马拉松赛跑中，推着自己身患残疾的儿子跑完26.2英里。其中有8次，他不仅推着坐在轮椅中的儿子跑26.2英里，还接着在游泳比赛中，拖着坐在橡皮艇上的儿子游了2.4英里，用自行车载着儿子走了112英里——这一切都是在同一天里做的。迪克也带着儿子去越野滑雪，背着儿子爬山，他还骑自行车拖着儿子穿越了美国。比起迪克的所作所为，你带着儿子去打保龄球，就显得太差劲了，对吗？