Living Statues: Rick and Rick Hoyt (Team Hoyt) - Hopkinton, MA

Dick and Rick Hoyt (Team Hoyt)

Hopkinton, MA

GPS: N42° 13.753; W071° 31.028

Short Description: 

A statue of Dick and Rick Hoyt entitled "Yes You Can!" is installed on the front lawn of the Center School in Hopkinton, MA.

Long Description:

A life-sized bronze statue of Rick and Dick Hoyt (Team Hoyt) entitled "Yes You Can!" was created by sculptor Mike Tabor, commissioned by John Hancock Financial, and donated to the Town of Hopkinton. It was dedicated on April 8, 2013.

Dick Hoyt is shown wearing short, sleeveless shirt and running shoes. He is pushing a wheelchair designed for racing. Rick Hoyt is seated in the wheelchair. He is wearing a jacket and long trousers. He has a cushion collar around his neck. His feet are strapped into the chair. His right hand is resting in the arm of the wheelchair and is being held in front of him in the air slightly above his head. The sculpture rests on a 10' by 3' by 1" high granite base.

The plaque in front of the statue is inscribed:

YES YOU CAN!

From Hopkinton to Boston and beyond,

Dick and Rick Hoyt have touched and inspired millions.

To honor the perseverance and dedication they have shown the world,

John Hancock Financial, in celebration of its 150th Anniversary

donated this statue to the Town of Hopkinton. 

Dick, born June 1, 1940, and Rick Hoyt, born January 10, 1962, are the famous father and son pair that comprise Team Hoyt. They are honored by a bronze statue entitled "Yes You Can" installed near the start of the Boston Marathon in Hopkinton, MA.

Rick Hoyt was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth caused by a lack of oxygen to the brain due to the umbilical cord twisting around his neck. At age 11 Rick was provided with a computer that enabled him to communicate. It became evident Rick was quite intelligent. Rick graduated from Boston University in 1993 and worked at the Boston College in a computer lab developing systems to aid in communication for people with disabilities. His father, Dick, is a retired Lieutenant Colonel in the Air National Guard.

Team Hoyt began in 1977 when Rick, at age 15, was inspired by a magazine article on racing. Dick Hoyt, at age 37, was not a yet a runner. They first competed together in a 5 km run with Dick pushing Rick's wheelchair.

Since then, they have competed as Team Hoyt in over one thousand endurance events, including 70 marathons and six Ironman triathlons. They have run the Boston Marathon 30 times. In 1992, they bicycled and ran across the U.S. completing 3,735 miles in 45 days.

Racing history on Wikipedia (as of April 2012):

247 - Triathlons
6 - Ironman distances (included in triathlons)
7- Half Ironman (included in triathlons)
22 - Duathlons
70 Marathons (including 30 Boston Marathons)
8 - 20 miles
8 - 18.6 miles
94 - Half Marathons
1 - 20 km
37 - 10 miles
8 - 15 km
33 - Falmouth 7 miles
2 - 11 km
216 - 10 km
157 - 5 miles
4 - 8 km
1 - 7.1 km
18 - 4 miles
155 - 5 km