Thursday, October 19, 2006

In awe

A few posts ago I wrote about a challenging situation I was in with regards to a translation I was asked to do. I said, "For those of you who have not studied languages before, the nature of such a request may be lost on you. It would be like saying to someone, 'Oh, would you mind doing an Ironman while wearing snowshoes, oven mitts and a blindfold? Oh, and just for fun… can you tie yourself to a Hummer and pull it behind you through each of the 3 sports?'"

I was reminded of that today when my massage therapist sent me this as an inspiration:

http://cjcphoto.com/can/

I almost did not believe the story. Then I saw the video at the end of the page. And got kind of choked up.

But still... the skeptic in me wondered. (The writing on that web page was so bad it really made me wonder if the story was true!) So, I Googled them. Apparently, they are for real:
http://www.teamhoyt.com/

CNN even picked up the story:
http://www.cnn.com/US/9911/29/hoyt.family/index.html

Just goes to show how sometimes, the impossible isn't really that way at all.

9 comments:

Olga said...

I read this story many times by now - it still fresh like new. Almost crazy. But real.

Anonymous said...

I saw that Google video about a month ago, and it actually made me tear up. (I'm not a crier.) Amazing, humbling.

Backofpack said...

The Hoyts are famous - and it is an amazing story. My youngest sister has cerebal palsy and is wheelchair bound. One of my favorite pictures is of her and my Dad on the beach. He's got her in a wheelbarrow (so it will roll through the sand) and is pushing her along the edge of the waves. It's awesome.

One of our local races has a Dad pushing his son in a wheelchair. They pass me everytime!

Sarah said...

Oh yeah, they are real. Amazing.

Bast said...

Wow. Not much more to say, really. Just wow. Oh, and the visual of a rainbow popped into my head when I think of them. Don't know why...

D said...

Rick Reilly just wrote about another father of a disabled son that pushes his wheelchair in band and does an amazing job helping his son live a "normal" life. That article was in the recent SI edition. These are the things that we all need to think about when we are having a bad day and think our lives are tough! Thanks for the reminder.

Anvilcloud said...

I think I've seen them on TV -- maybe Oprah's Amazing Stories.

Unknown said...

Yes, a wonderful bring tears to your eyes story. I have seen that video a few times and always get choked up when I watch it.

wthenrest said...

Good one Sarah...tears in my eyes.Nothing more to say.