Father And Disabled Daughter Compete In Triathlons Together!

How amazing is this??

Since 2008, the father/daughter duo of Team Maddy have completed more than 75 events together. They don't do it to place, they do it to finish.

You see, Maddy has cerebral palsy — and the races mean much more than winning.

Here's what her dad Rick says:

‘I’ve never been disappointed crossing the finish line because I’m doing it with my daughter.’

Rick enters almost every triathalon or race with his 13-year-old, Maddy, who was diagnosed with severe cerebral palsy after she was born.

During the swimming portion of the triathalon, he tows Maddy in an inflated kayak. He then carries her to the biking leg (she weighs about 80 pounds), where he has a special cart that he built for Maddy to ride in:

“The hardest part for me is the transition from the swim to the bike because I carry her,” he said. “She has a fused spine, so it’s like carrying a board.”

The running portion has Rick pushing Maddie in a special stroller!

He continued:

“She’s very docile, she doesn’t move around a lot. She’s very docile, she doesn’t move around a lot. If she’s not having fun, we stop.”

They’ve even raised money for charities and even have a sponsor, 3 Disciplines Racing, which helps shoulder the registration cost of the competitions!

“It’s about putting one foot in front of the other. It doesn’t matter how long it takes to get to the finish line, it’s about you and that you got there.”

Absolutely wonderful.

We love stories like this!

Go Team Maddy!!

P.S. — Rick quit smoking three packs of cigarettes a day to do this with his daughter!

[Image Via Rick's Facebook

Tags: aid, amazing, bike, competition, dad, daughter, father, love, money, race, running, swimming, team, together