Rick Hoyt, a man with quadriplegia who raced in the Boston Marathon and other races in a wheelchair with the help of his father, recently died at 61. According to a statement from the Hoyt family, Rick died of complications with his respiratory system.

The family statement read, “Rick and our father, Dick, were icons in the road race and triathlon worlds for over 40 years and inspired millions of people with disabilities to believe in themselves, set goals and accomplish extraordinary things.”

The father-son duo were race enthusiasts who participated in over 1,000 other races, including duathlons and triathlons. Rick Hoyt had cerebral palsy, but with the tireless devotion of his father, Dick Hoyt, he completed the Boston Marathon 32 times.

They started running in races in 1977 when Rick told his dad he wanted to participate in a 5-mile race to benefit a lacrosse player paralyzed in an accident, according to the Hoyt Foundation’s website. Though he could not talk, Hoyt learned when he was 12 years old how to use his head and buttons mounted on his chair to type out sentences.

Hoyt told HBO’s “Real Sports” correspondent Mary Carillo in 2005, “I wanted to show this person that life goes on and he could still lead a productive life.” They completed the 5-mile event with his father pushing his chair, finishing next to last. Hoyt told his father that when they were running, it felt like his disability disappeared, Dick Hoyt told “Real Sports.”

Dave McGillivray, the race director of the Boston Marathon, said, “It’s hard to believe they both have now passed on, but their legacy will never die. Dick and Rick Hoyt have inspired  millions around the world.” He added, “We will always be grateful, Rick, for your courage, determination, tenacity and willingness to give of yourself so that others, too, could believe in themselves, set goals and make a difference in this world as you have.”

Team Hoyt raised awareness of those who struggle with disabilities and inspired millions in and out of the running community. The father-son team quickly gained fame, becoming widely known that the Boston Athletic Association named its advocacy and inclusion award the Rick & Dick Hoyt Award. The award is given each April to someone who best displays these qualities.

In a statement, the BAA said, “Rick Hoyt will always be remembered as a Boston Marathon icon and for personifying the ‘Yes You Can’ mentality that defined Team Hoyt. We are fortunate to have been able to call Rick a friend, mentor, pioneer, and Boston Marathon finisher.”

In 1992, the duo completed a run and bike across the United States, traveling 3,735 miles in 45 days. They were again honored in 2013 when a statue of Rick and Dick was erected near the Boston Marathon’s starting line in Hopkinton. Dick Koyt died in 2021.

Rick Hoyt never allowed his disability to stop him from chasing his dreams. With the help of his father, he completed several Boston Marathons, beating the odds stacked against him. Please keep the Hoyt family in your prayers.