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About five minutes ago, one of the most amazing father-son teams in the history of sports took off from the starting line at the famed Boston Marathon. This marks Dick and Rick Hoyt's 28th appearance in the world's most famous road race -- a pretty amazing record given their unlikely story.
Team Hoyt in their first road race | In 1977, when 12-year-old Rick first asked his father to run with him in a five-mile charity race for a local high school student who'd been paralyzed in an accident, Dick knew this was no normal request.
It wasn't just that Dick was in no shape to run to the end of the block, let alone a full five miles. It wasn't just that his son had shown real concern for someone he hardly knew. What made this request really extraordinary was that, due to cerebral palsy, Rick was born a quadriplegic, confined to a wheelchair and could only "speak" through the aid of a computer which spelled out words one letter at a time. And yet, he was asking his father to run with him.
The two signed up to run... together! They finished the race in an effort that Dick laughs, "almost killed me." But none of that mattered when, after the race, Rick typed out, "Dad, when we're running I don't feel like I'm disabled anymore." Dick Hoyt knew what he had to do.
So began the remarkable story of Team Hoyt, a father and son who together compete almost every weekend in a different back-breaking race. If they're not in a marathon, they are in a triathlon, including daunting Ironman-length events that combine 26.2 miles of running, 112 miles of biking and 2.4 miles of swimming. Together, they have launched races,  climbed mountains, and once even trekked 3,735 miles across America. They have spawned a movement that has inspired scores of parents to push their wheelchair-bound children in road races.
For more than 30 years, 69-year-old Dick has pushed and pulled his son across the country and over more than 1,000 finish lines. When Dick runs, he pushes Rick in a wheelchair. When Dick cycles, Rick is in a seat on the front of the bike. And when Dick swims, he pulls Rick in an inflatable dinghy tethered to Dick's waist.
Recently, I had the privilege of working with them on a book about their incredible story, which was released just last week. Over the past few years, they've been featured on Oprah and Good Morning America, their picture has been plastered on billboards all over the country, and they've been profiled in magazines such as Sports Illustrated and Men's Health.
But for most of Team Hoyt's running career, almost no one knew what Dick was doing. It wasn't some kind of a media stunt or bid for fame. It was simply a father and son spending time together in a way that made them
The Hoyts have been asked to participate in races around the world, including this one in Japan | both feel more alive. After more than two decades of quietly sharing this joy within their family, someone noticed them at a race, put a video of the pair on YouTube, and Team Hoyt become worldwide celebrities. That video, translated into several languages, is still one of the most watched in the history of YouTube.
But that's not why Dick did it. He didn't start running marathons with his son to become a famous face or even to generate an inspirational book. He did it because he loved his son and wanted the best for him.
And it's not about winning -- they've never finished first in a race, though Dick is proud to note they've never finished last, either! But despite not finishing first, I would tell you Dick and Rick are among the Greatest athletes I've ever met. It's not about attention -- they've been pretty anonymous for most of their running career. It's about doing the right thing; the thing that would give them both a new purpose in life and forge an incredible bond. And despite all of the attention in recent years, they still tackle each race for the same reason: Because it is how they continue to grow... together!
"You taught me the key to my daily life," Rick writes to his father in this book's final chapter, "believing the phrase, Yes you can! Thank you for being so devoted to me. I am just as devoted to you."
Tips from the Great Ones
Dick and Rick Hoyt are living proof that the decisions we make when no one is watching are the ones that truly define us.
They never set out to become famous, but the tremendous love that has propelled this father and son to pursue something extraordinary has become a story that has captured the hearts of people around the world.
Father and son in Hawaii for the Ironman Competition | What about you? What decisions have you made privately that have come to shape who you are and what you pursue? Would people describe you as someone who strives always to make the best choice, or as someone whose motivation is more externally driven?
The desire simply to win isn't enough to get you to the finish line every time. There has to be something more, something Greater that inspires you to start each race and see it through.
Integrity is about more than choosing right over wrong; it is about living in such a way that your actions are consistently rooted in a genuine desire for something Greater.
Rick showed this with his request to run that very first race -- he had a selfless desire to support someone else. Dick showed this when he agreed to a
 difficult task -- he knew it would be a beneficial experience for his son. And together, both have lived this kind of day-in-day-out integrity with every race they've run, and every challenge they've overcome.
Consider today what motivates you each morning. What decisions are you making that no one else may see, but that determine the course of each day, the direction of your career or hobbies, and even your relationships with the people around you? Why do you do what you choose to do?
When no one was watching, Dick Hoyt made the right choice. That's Greatness. | 
