Connected in the Climb

November 2, 2025

Reflect

When Rick Hoyt was born in 1962, doctors told his parents he would never walk or talk because of cerebral palsy. They suggested placing him in an institution. His father, Dick, and mother, Judy, refused. They brought him home and made him part of everything they did.

As Rick grew, new technology allowed him to communicate through a special computer. One day, he typed a message that would change both of their lives. He wanted to join a charity run for a friend who had been paralyzed.

Dick wasn’t a runner. He was in his late thirties, working full time, and had never trained for a race. But he said yes. They finished next to last—exhausted, smiling, and forever changed.

After the race, Rick told him, “Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.”
That moment became the start of a lifelong partnership.

Together, they completed more than a thousand endurance events: 32 Boston Marathons, six Ironman World Championships, and even a 45-day run and ride across the country. Dick pulled Rick in a small boat through the open water, cycled with him on a tandem bike, and pushed his racing chair for every mile of the run.

Their journey wasn’t about medals or records. It was about what happens when love and determination move in the same direction. Dick brought the strength. Rick brought the spirit. And together, they showed what’s possible when we refuse to give up on one another.

Team Hoyt became a reminder of what connection can do.

Courage carried them forward, but love made it meaningful. Because sometimes the greatest progress comes from the people who move beside us.

Implement

This week, think about the people who help you keep going when things get hard.

Ask yourself:
• Who helps me stay grounded, focused, or hopeful when the path feels steep?
• Where can I offer that same steadiness to someone else?

We’re not meant to do this alone. Real momentum grows through trust, compassion, and shared purpose.

Strengthen

🎥 Watch: Team Hoyt: Yes You Can (short feature, ~6 min)

If you don’t watch the video, here’s the heart of it:

It’s not a story about running or competition. It’s about love that refuses to give up, and connection that turns “I can’t” into “we can.”

Dick and Rick Hoyt remind us that momentum is never just about strength. It’s about presence, trust, and the willingness to carry and be carried when life demands both.

That kind of connection doesn’t just change outcomes. It changes people.

When we choose connection, we expand what’s possible.

Elevate

Connection is where courage and compassion meet. It’s what allows us to share both the weight and the wonder of the climb.

Sometimes we lead. Sometimes we’re lifted. Both are acts of grace. 

Each time we steady someone else, we grow stronger.
Each time we accept help, we remind others that trust is a gift, not a weakness.

Momentum Insight

 Ask AI to help you nurture connection in a way that strengthens your own climb:

“Help me identify one relationship or partnership that fuels my growth, and show me one small way to nurture it.”

True momentum is built through encouragement and the quiet exchange of belief between people who keep showing up for one another.

The impact we make together always reaches further than what we can do alone.

Next week: Rising with Momentum — turning what we’ve learned into light for the path ahead.

Subscribe to The Weekly Momentum.