I’m a firm believer in things like “anybody can do anything”, one of my favorite lines is from a movie that goes something like “what one man can do, another can do”. Do you believe in such sayings? If you don’t, have a look at Team Hoyt, a father and son team that has competed in hundreds of marathons and triathlons together. That may not seem spectacular, but when you see the son, Rick Hoyt, who suffers from cerebral palsy and is in a wheelchair, you’ll be impressed. Dick Hoyt, the father, competed in marathons and triathlons while pushing his son in the wheelchair, swimming through water, and biking.
Now that Dick has reached an age where it’s hard for him to compete, he’s 75 years old, his wish was to compete in a triathlon side by side with his son. Team Hoyt joined Hyundai Motors to run in “The Car Triathlon Powered by Pure Energy”. The triathlon features three of Hyundai’s Eco-friendly cars, including the Tucson Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV), Sonata Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), and the Sonata Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV).
This car triathlon had three stages, just like a regular triathlon; the swimming part was done with the Tucson FCEV, the cycling part was done with the Sonata HEV, and the running part of the triathlon was done with the Sonata PHEV. This triathlon gave the father and son team an opportunity to do a triathlon side by side for the first time.
The whole idea of this triathlon was to show that Eco-friendly cars are not just some marketing talk, they are real and the limits of these types of vehicles are a challenge to overcome, just like what Team Hoyt did to overcome their challenges.
Below is a cool three minute promotional video from the triathlon, featuring Dick and Rick Hoyt, the video is pretty inspirational and one of the better advertising campaigns. Watching some of the old clips from the running days of Team Hoyt really has inspired me to get out and get in shape, if Team Hoyt didn’t complain, what excuse do you and I have to sit around all day?
For more information, check out Hyundai’s website.
