Real heroes don't wear yellow bracelets

Once again Lance Armstrong is all over the news. "What a hero!" they say "Imagine winning the Tour de France so many times AND beating cancer!" If you do a search for his name on the internet, you'll find a plethora of articles comparing him to God. Um, yeah. Okay. Will someone explain to me why he's a hero?

So he can ride a bike fast. That doesn't make him an admirable person. In fact, he's kind of a jerk. He left his wife for a rock star ... hardly hero material. He says God had nothing to do with his miraculous recovery from cancer ... it was his own sheer determination. He's in for a rude surprise one day.

So he beat cancer. So did my cousin ... and his odds were a little lower than Lance's. The Livestrong web site claims over 40 million people wear the yellow bracelet in support of people living with cancer. Gee, and here I was just praying for them all this time ... I didn't realize I needed to flaunt it.

Now let me tell you about another hero. Dick Hoyt rides a bike too. He also swims and runs. He's participated in 85 marathons and 212 triathlons, biked across the United States, climbed mountains and skiied cross country. All that is pretty cool, but its not what makes Dick a hero. See, Dick has a companion on every one of these ventures: his 43 year old son Rick. Dick pushes Rick when he runs, tows him when he swims and balances him on the handlebars of the bike. Why? Because Rick wants to do these things.

Rick was born with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, resulting in brain damage and inability to control his limbs. Doctors said he'd spend his life as a vegetable. Dick didn't buy that ... he saw his son's eyes follow him. He searched until he found a way for him to communicate. Rick "talks" by means of a computer that allows him to control the cursor through a switch in the side of his head.

At 17 Rick told his Dad he wanted to run a marathon. Dick was in the same rather sedentary shape most of us are at 39, and probably wasn't overjoyed at the prospect of running 5 miles, much less pushing a wheelchair in the process. But he tried it, and it opened a new door for Rick.

And that became Dick's mission in life ... to keep that door open. They've even competed in the grueling Ironman Triathlon 4 times. (Just watching it on tv makes me sweat.) They recently finished their 24th Boston Marathon. Their best time is only 35 minutes short of the world record ... and by that I mean the world record for someone running alone. Dick has done so well in these races that people have suggested he go it alone. But Dick refuses, because he does all this just to see the huge smile on Rick's face.
Now that's a hero.