Yes You Can!

we arrived safely back on the mainland yesterday afternoon after spending an amazing week on the Big Island of Hawaii.

my intention at the beginning of the week, as evidenced by my diligent blogging from the US Airways lounge in the Phoenix airport on the way to the island, was to blog daily.

didn’t happen.

i could beat myself up over it but the truth of the matter is i was rarely in my room ... i was out living life, enjoying spending time with friends, listening to amazing speakers, and masterminding about life in general with people whose opinions i value greatly.

so, rather than turning this blog entry into the equivalent of a vacation travelogue slideshow on my living room wall, i thought i’d focus today on the most inspiring moment of the trip ... don’t worry, you’ll most likely be regaled later with stories of turtles and puffer fish and drum circles and helicopters and volcanoes, etc.

but today is dedicated to the time we spent with Rick and Dick Hoyt, a father-son racing team who are already on the island in preparation for the Ironman Triathlon coming up on october 21. if you haven’t heard of the hoyts, you deserve to. check them out at www.teamhoyt.com.

even better, tune in to the Ironman coverage to see team hoyt in action.

together they’ve competed in over 206 triathlons and over 64 marathons, including 24 straight Boston Marathons, as well as hundreds of other road races. they also bicycled across the United States in 45 consecutive days.

a phenomenal record of achievement, especially when you consider that rick is confined to a wheelchair with cerebral palsy as a result of a complication during his birth 44 years ago.

during these races, rick rides in a custom boat, bicycle seat and a wheelchair while his dad, dick, powers through the race. in dick’s words, “i’m the muscle, rick is the heart”.

they got started racing by chance, when a 15 year old rick wanted to participate in a local fundraiser. after the race, he looked at his dad and told him it was the first time he didn’t feel disabled. and that was the day “Yes You Can” was born.

they now race around the world and champion the cause of the disabled. but their story reaches so far beyond the disabled in body, they inspire the disabled in spirit.

what a powerful message: “Yes You Can”.

my friend aaron observed, “imagine what the world would be like if every dad was this dedicated”.

imagine.

so, join me on october 21 in cheering on these amazing men who are living testament to their stand for limitless human potential.

even better, join me in honoring them by embracing a “Yes You Can” mindset and carrying the torch out in to the world!