rapidfire
Retiree Spotlight
R
ick Hoyt has taken part in 996 so we entered as phantoms. Other participants were also
footraces in the past 30 years, concerned that we would get in the way, but we were
including 26 Boston Marathons and soon placing in my age category, so with that we got a
229 triathlons. What’s unusual is that whole new level of respect and acceptance.
Rick can neither walk nor speak, the We have received thousands of letters and e-mails
result of cerebral palsy. He accom- from people around the world telling very touch-
plished those remarkable feats ing stories about how we have changed their lives
with the help of his father, Lt. for the better. Recently, I received a letter from a
Col. Dick Hoyt, ANG-Ret. young lady who was contemplating suicide until
Together, they are Team Hoyt. she saw our story. She decided that if Rick
How did you get involved in [could] overcome his obstacles, so
this? When Rick was in high could she.
school, he had a friend who was What is Rick’s goal in this?
paralyzed in an automobile acci- He says he wants to be able to
dent. There was going to be a benefi t run a race while pushing me in
run for this student, and Rick asked a wheelchair.
me if I would help him to participate. I Do you foresee an end to Team
was not a runner at the time, but I was Hoyt? No. As long as my body holds
determined to help Rick, because his up and Rick wants to keep going, I’ll
life has been a story of exclusion. We keep at it. We are constantly being in-
want to prove that those with disabili- vited to races across the country, but
ties can live meaningful lives. as it is, we take part in a race almost
You and Rick must be an inspi- every weekend, and I speak to
ration to a lot of people. I think groups during the week. We
so. When we fi rst started, people were talking about cutting
didn’t want to allow us to par- back this year, but as it
ticipate. The problem was that turned out, we did more
we really didn’t fi t into any racing this year than we
of the categories since Rick normally do.
doesn’t push his own chair, — Michael J. Michelsen Jr.
Attention! Check out these military-related entertainment offerings.
DVD Fighting for Life ing the world of military less than 15 minutes at TV Wings of Defeat
(American Film Foundation, medicine in a time of war. war after a bomb plunged (PBS, 2009) In this docu-
2008) Director and produc- through her deck and deto- mentary premiering May
er Terry Sanders shares the BOOK USS Arizona: nated a million and a half 5 at 10 p.m., Japanese
story of wounded warriors Warship, Tomb, Monu- pounds of gunpowder. This would-be kamikaze pilots
and the doctors, nurses, ment (Bess Press, 2008) book tells the story of the from World War II reveal
medics, corpsmen, and Perhaps the most famous Arizona’s planning stages how their peers were forced
medical students who help warship in American his- in 1912 through her status to pay for an empire’s pride
them in this film illuminat- tory, the Arizona spent as a monument today. with their lives. MO
2 6 M I L I T A R Y O F F I C E R M AY 2 0 0 9 PHOTO: STEVE BARRETT
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26ay_rf.indd 26 44/10/09 5:10:06 PM/10/09 5:10:06 PM
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