Devoted
Written by Dick Hoyt with Don Yaeger
Born a spastic quadriplegic, Rick Hoyt was written off by doctors. They advised his parents to put him in an institution. His parents refused. Fighting to give their son every opportunity that “normal” kids get, Rick’s mother helped to pass a landmark bill that enabled Rick and other physically handicapped kids to attend public school. With the help of a brilliant device—the Hope Machine—Rick was able to use a headswitch to communicate with others. But one day their lives changed forever as Rick asked his dad to enter a charity race and push his wheelchair to the finish line. More than one thousand races later, at sixty-nine years old, Dick Hoyt continues to push his son’s wheelchair. From the Boston Marathon, which holds a special place in the Hoyts’ hearts, to Ironman triathlons, Dick and Rick continue to celebrate a truly special bond between father and son and live their lives by the motto, “Yes, you can.”
Twitter Contest: Free Book Giveaway
In honor of Father’s Day, I’m holding a Twitter contest to give away a copy of my newly-released book, Devoted: The Story of a Father’s Love for His Son autographed by myself and Dick Hoyt. This is the story of Dick and Rick Hoyt (Team Hoyt) and how they have consistently proven over the years that regardless of circumstances, “Yes, You Can!” Rick was born with cerebral palsy and has been wheel-chair bound his entire life; still, he and his father, Dick, have competed in more than 1,000 races – including Boston Marathons and Ironman Triathalons. Devoted demonstrates a father-son relationship at its greatest.
To win a copy of this book for you or your dad, you must do 3 simple things:
1. In order to get a better understanding of how Dick and Rick have impacted others, you need to watch this two-minute video highlighting their journey (it’s the video on the homepage): http://teamhoyt.com/
2. Type up a few sentences describing why you think your father might enjoy this book, and send your response to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
3. Send out a single tweet, in 140 characters or less, explaining what you find inspirational or enjoyable about Team Hoyt. For your tweet to count, you must direct your tweet at @donyaeger and include #TeamHoyt in your message. Example: @donyaeger: I found #TeamHoyt inspirational because…
All emails and tweets must be received by Monday, June 7, at 1 p.m. EDT, for your entry to be counted. I will review and pick the best combination of responses and announce a winner Tuesday, June 8. Your book will be sent to you, or directly to your father if you prefer, and will arrive by Father’s Day! I will also write a personalized message (you can choose the message) inside the front cover.
Be Great,
Don Yaeger