Like many young athletes, Lucas King likes to display his awards in his room: More than 100 medals and race bibs from 5Ks, 10Ks, half-marathons and other runs decorate his walls.
Considering he is just 11 years old, his accomplishments are an inspiration; when you realize that he was born with cerebral palsy, they become a revelation.
βWe try to recognize what Lucas can do, rather than what he canβt,β said Steve King, Lucasβ father.
Steve and Denise, Lucasβ mother, are the founders of Team Hoyt Arizona, a nonprofit dedicated to sharing the joy of racing with people with special needs.
The organization is one of seven affiliates worldwide of Team Hoyt, which was started by the father-son team of Dick and Rick Hoyt. Dick has pushed Rick, who was diagnosed as a spastic quadriplegic with cerebral palsy at birth, in his running chair/jogger through 31 Boston Marathons, six Ironman triathlons and numerous athletic events worldwide over the past four decades. The duo have become known internationally for their advocacy of people living with disabilities and for adaptable equipment such as the Team Hoyt Running Chair, designed to comfortably accommodate people with physical challenges during runs and triathlons.
Inspired by the Hoytsβ motto, βYes, You Can,β and determined for Lucas to experience the joy of athletics, Denise and Steve began racing with Lucas in 2011.
βLucas is a nonverbal boy, but when we run, he smiles and laughs and if nothing else, he is filled with contentment,β said Steve, a Flowing Wells High School graduate who went on to play basketball at Pima Community College.
The desire for Lucas to experience the camaraderie of being part of a team also provided incentive to start the charity, according to Denise, who played softball at PCC.
βI think it gives the kids the chance to feel typical and helps them create friendships when they are part of a team. When people are in a wheelchair, we are taught not to stare, but what happens is that we avoid them and ignore them. So when they become part of a team, it breaks down that wall: People see these kids as athletes,β she said.
Teams are formed of βassisted athletes,ββ people with special needs who ride in running wheelchairs or joggers, or who sometimes walk or run with a buddy team; and βassistant athletesβ who push the assisted athlete to the finish line. The organization fills a special niche for assisted athletes with a variety of challenges, ranging from mild autism to severe physical disabilities, and can offer an option for athletes who may be unable to participate in the Special Olympics.
Denise said assistant athletes run the gamut in fitness; participants have ranged from family members and community volunteers to students with the UA College of Medicine.
βWe have one mom who started running in March 2017. She is doing her third half-marathon in January. She says running has saved her life and made her son happy. They look forward to doing it together,β Denise said.
Ultimately, the experience also builds a sense of community and inclusion for the athletes and their families.
βWe are very positive; we donβt dwell on the bad things that happen. ... When we are out there, we laugh and have fun and boost each other up as families,β said Denise.
The support at the events was an unexpected bonus for the entire family, including Lucasβ sister, Emerson, according to Steve.
βI didnβt expect that I needed this kind of thing, but as we meet these other equally-committed families, we are able to bounce life stories and experiences off of each other. We see how they deal with feeding tubes and seizures and all of the other stuff that comes along: They are really our team and our tribe, in addition to the running,β said Steve.
The Kings are hoping to expand that tribe with a message of inclusion and inspiration through Team Hoyt Arizona, which seeks to provide free race entry fees for assisted athletes and their immediate family members who race as assistant athletes. Additionally, the organization helps assisted athletes launch fundraising campaigns and attain grants for specialized racing chairs, which can range from $3,000 to $5,000 each; it also maintains several racing chairs to loan to athletes who donβt have their own.
This financial assistance is vital to families who routinely face high medical costs and other expenses affiliated with a family member with special needs, Denise said. βMany of these families have only one parent who is able to work since someone needs to help care for the child. We never wanted people to have to make a choice between buying groceries or running a 5K: We want these kids out there,β she said.
In an effort to raise funds and promote its message of inclusion, Team Hoyt Arizona will present An Inspirational Evening with Dick Hoyt at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 9, at Hilton El Conquistador Resort, 10000 N. Oracle Road.
Steve is hopeful that the awe-inspiring reputation of the Team Hoyt patriarch will help to boost awareness about the efforts locally and statewide.
βIf we can carry that message of inclusion outside of our circle of influence so that someone in Sahuarita or Window Rock who didnβt think they could be in a race realizes that they can participate, that is our goal. Finding a new family that needs us is like finding a million dollars. To help them and to add one more team to Team Hoyt is pretty cool,β he said.
Ultimately, the Kings hope that Team Hoyt Arizona will encourage people of diverse abilities to look around and realize they are capable of more than they think.
