Dick & Rick Hoyt

Registration for the 25th Ironman continues
one by one. Some faces, we recognize.

Here is 58-year-old Richard Holkomb,
number 214, back for a second try.

He's legally blind and it doesn't matter
to him. No, the thing that must occur, at

all costs, is this time: Cross the line.

- It's more than a race. It's a lifetime
event that we'll remember for the rest of

our lives. They're either going to carry me
off the course, or I'm going to cross the

finish line.

- The stories about people like Richard
Holcomb pass through this world as race

week moves toward this morning.
"Hey did you hear about the man who

was legally blind?" People love to tell,
and love to hear, the stories.

Then, appearing near the start line, where
they've been before, are father and son:

Dick and Ricky Hoyt. There is no one here
who hasn't heard about them, their story

and a human commitment that goes far
beyond, and far back.

♪

- January 10th, 1962. We knew there was
something wrong but we did not know exactly

what.
[children laughing]

The doctor said "Forget Rick. Put him away;
put him in an institution. He's going to be

nothing but a vegetable for the rest of
his life." We cried a little bit, we talked,

and we said, "No. We're not going to put
Rick away. We're going to bring Rick home

and bring him up like any other child."

♪

We knew Rick was smart, we could tell by
looking in his eyes. And when we talked to

him, you know, he was paying attention to
what we were saying. So we wanted to

get a computer built so Rick could
communicate with us. Everybody came

to our house that night for Rick to say
his first words. And everybody was betting,

you know, what is the first words Rick is
ever gonna say? And his mom saying it's

going to be "Hi, Mom," and me, the dad,
saying, "No, it's going to be 'Hi, Dad.'"

♪

Well, the Boston Bruins were going for the
Stanley Cup, and the very first words Rick

ever said was "Go Bruins."
[door creaking]

- Dick is a military man, so he knows a
thing or two about commitment.

This time, he's just months removed from a
heart attack. This gift that he gives

to his son - or, is it the other way
around? - either way, it all started

when Rick heard about a charity run for a
paralyzed athlete. He asked dad, and dad

said yes.

♪

- And the gun went off, and we went off
with all the other runners, and everybody

thought that Rick and I were just going to
the corner and turning around and come back.

Well, we didn't. We finished the whole
five miles, coming in next to last, but

not last. And we got home that night, Rick
wrote on his computer: "Dad, when I'm

running, it feels like my disability
disappears." So that was a very powerful

message to me that we finally found a sport
that Rick could get involved in just like

everybody else.

[clock ticking]

♪

Rick is my motivator. He inspires me.
To me, he's the one out there competing,

and I'm just loaning him my arms and my
legs so that HE can compete.

There's just something that gets into me
when I'm out there competing with Rick

that I can't explain it. And we're able to
go faster. And it's just an unbelievable

feeling.

♪

Rick and I love the Ironman triathlon.
To be out there, competing, with the best

triathletes in the world. To be accepted
to compete along with these triathletes.

Just to be out there, on that pier, with
all the other triathletes, and then

waiting in the water for that canon to go
off, it was just so exciting.

The feeling coming down the finish line,
and Ali'i Drive, is just an awesome

experience. With the crowd there, all the
excitement, the noise, and the announcers

announcing and all that - the adrenaline
just gets flowing.

- One more time for Dick and Rick Hoyt!
[cheering]

♪

- [computerized voice] I may be disabled,
but I live a very fulfilling life. And if

someone takes the time to get to know me,
they will realize that I am no different

than anyone else.
- Here he is, he graduated from public

high school, he's graduated from college,
he's out there competing in road races

and triathlons. He lives a happier life,
probably, than 95% of the population.

Rick would tell you that if he was
physically able to do something, then

he'd probably play basketball, football,
or hockey. But then, he always says, no:

The first thing he'd do is have me sit down
in his wheelchair, and he'd push me.

Y'know, it really makes me feel good that
he appreciates what I'm trying to do to

help him out. And he'd do the
same thing for me.

♪

Our message is "yes, you can." You can do
anything you wanna do. As long as you

make up your mind, you can do it.

♪

- If you have ever searched for the meaning
of life, stop. The answer lies right here.

By the way, Ricky would want us to tell
you: The Bruins look pretty good this year.

♪