The Hoyt Foundation July Newsletter

From the Office of the President

July is the time of the year that we truly get to start enjoying summer to the fullest.  It reminds me of how much Rick enjoyed the swim portion of the triathlons he competed in with both Dad and Bryan Lyons.  I was lucky enough to be included by Bryan’s family when a bench was dedicated in his honor at Silver Lake in Wilmington (see article Bryan’s Bench).  When I think of Dad and Rick swimming together, I am reminded of three incredible stories.  The first time Dad ever tried to swim with Rick he tried holding Rick on his chest and doing the back stroke with one arm.  They quickly realized that wouldn’t work and when Rick got on his computer, he being a fan of the movie Jaws, wrote, “We’re gonna need a bigger boat!” And Dad said a boat is a good idea and the rubber dingy with a strap attached to a vest Dad wore worked.

The second amazing swimming story was when Dad forgot the vest.  Did that stop them?  No way, Dad tied the rope around his chest and pulled Rick with the rope rubbing his bare skin the entire way.  When they came out of the water Dad had a bright red ring dripping with blood for the bike and run portions of the race.  The third and maybe most incredible swim story was a triathlon at the Cape.  It was a very windy day with rough seas for the swim.  We looked as Dad and Rick were moving slower than we were expecting.  We thought maybe the rough seas were holding them back.  We borrowed a pair of binoculars and when we got a closer look, we saw that seven distressed swimmers were clinging to sides of the boat.  They thought it was a safety boat sent to help them.  Dad had no idea anyone was hanging on and he finished the swim towing Rick plus seven other triathletes to shore.  Team Hoyt, The Hoyt Foundation and the Hoyt Family wish everyone an amazing summer! 

Bryan Lyons Dedication

On Saturday June 21st we had the honor of being included in a special event for a true friend of the Hoyt family – Bryan Lyons.  Bryan’s mom Pat asked Russ to speak and share in the joy of the day.

We were joined by Bryan’s family, friends and some special Team Hoyt supporters who had impressive performances at the Triathlon that was part of the ceremony.  Becca Pizzi won the race!  Shawn Hoyt came in third, and Dave McGillivray ruled the day.

Falmouth Road Race 2025

We are excited about how our team is coming together for Falmouth!  We have a few spots left, so sign up here to wear the iconic Ocean Blue Team Hoyt singlet:

and join this incredible group:

• Tracey Cammanaro
• DUO – Anni & Isabelle Fournier
• Michael Gaughran
• Marisa Gehrig
• Linda Glimpse
• Lyndsay Kuder
• Nate Kuder
• Brendan Moloy
• Kelley Reichert
• Brian Reilly
• Anna Swisher
• Ian Webb

Also remember you will be supporting the Team sponsoring the Duo Division.

First Time Running as a Duo

The joy of running.  Nick Tsitos ran his first race ever at the Team Hoyt Memorial YES YOU CAN Run Together being pushed by Nate Kuder.  Nate and I first met Nick at Children’s Hospital in May of 2024.  Nate and Nick became fast friends and decided to try the race and RUN TOGETHER.  Nick sent the following in an email to us after the race:

Thank you so much for letting me run with Nate over last weekend at the Team Hoyt memorial! Thank you so much for letting me use one of the racing wheelchairs with Nate to run!

Nate & Nick running the Team Hoyt Memorial - May 2025

That means a lot to me! I had an awesome, fun time at the race! You and Nate are awesome guys and funny guys too.  I love working with funny guys and fun people! 

Nick & Russ sharing a laugh - May 2024

 Thank you so much for asking me to come again this year!  I am looking forward to running more races to help more people! I love helping people!

Big Zee News

Team Hoyt, The Hoyt Foundation and the Hoyt Family are proud to announce that Zdeno Chara has been inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

During his playing days Zdeno asked Dad, “Dick when I retire will you train me to run a marathon?”

Since retiring Big Zee has competed in Triathlons (including the Ironman) and many marathons including the Boston Marathon for Team Hoyt in both 2023 and 2024:

Venture Golf Tournament

On Friday June 13th Team Hoyt was out on the links supporting Venture Community Services as the Platinum Sponsor at their Annual Golf Tournament.

Venture is celebrating 50 years of providing support to individuals facing diverse challenges through a compassionate and dedicated workforce using innovative practices that encourage independence, empowerment, and opportunity.

To learn more about Venture and their incredible work for individuals in need.

Check them out at: https://venturecs.org/

Hoyt Movie

Exciting news!  Netflix announced that Nate Faxon and Jim Rash have been signed on to direct “Team Hoyt” a movie based on the lives and running career of Dick & Rick Hoyt along with Judy’s influence on making the world a better place for anyone with a disability.

The film will be produced by Kevin Walsh’s The Walsh Company, Gotham Chopra’s Religion of Sports, Ryan Stowell, and NFL icon Tom Brady, latter of whom hatched Religion of Sports with Chopra and another gridiron great, Michael Strahan. Russell Hoyt will co-produce in collaboration with the Hoyt family estate, honoring Rick and Dick’s legacy in racing and Judy’s impact on improving the lives of individuals with disabilities. Brady is fully on board, sparking to the inspirational strength of the material and the Hoyt story.  When Tom read the script, he walked out of the Religion of Sports offices with tears in his eyes and said, “I have to call my Dad.”

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