Your Purpose Should Be Bigger Than You

Team Hoyt

A Follow-Up to My Ironman Lessons on Dreams, Discipline, and Growth

Over the past few weeks, I shared lessons from my Ironman journey—how endurance racing shapes the way we think about dreams, leadership, and business growth.

This week, my thinking was stretched again, not from a race but from a story.

As I was listening to The Law of High Morale in John Maxwell’s book The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork, Maxwell used Team Hoyt—father Dick Hoyt and son Rick Hoyt—as an example of how morale fuels extraordinary effort. Their story reframed my own understanding of purpose, significance, and what it truly means to keep going when everything in you wants to stop.

The Story That Changes Your Perspective

Rick Hoyt was born with cerebral palsy and is a quadriplegic. In 1977, Rick asked his father if they could run a local 5-mile charity race. Dick said yes—and pushed him in a jogger the entire way.

After the race, Rick told his father:

“Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.”

Those words lit a fire that never went out.

Over the next 40 years, Team Hoyt completed over 1,00 races including 72 marathons, 7 Half Ironmans, and 6 full Ironman distance races.

Think about that. Six Ironman races… with Dick swimming 3,800 meters while pulling Rick in a boat, biking 180 km with Rick on a custom seat, and running 42 km while pushing him in a jogger.

Where my Ironman races were about me reaching my goals, Dick’s races were about helping his son feel free—feel whole—feel alive.

His purpose was bigger than himself.

And that leads to the first lesson of this blog.

1. Your Purpose Must Be Bigger Than You

When Dick felt exhausted, dehydrated, or overwhelmed during a race, he remembered Rick’s words:

“Dad, when I’m running, it feels like I’m not handicapped.”

That was his fuel.

Not medals.

Not recognition.

Not ego.

Purpose empowered endurance.

And endurance created a legacy.

It reminded me of something Sara Blakely shared in her MasterClass: she didn’t start Spanx with a detailed business plan. She started with purpose—to serve women and make products that solved real problems.

Most entrepreneurs don’t lack talent.

They lack clarity of purpose.

In our Entrepreneur Mastermind groups, we guide leaders to build a Purpose Statement by exploring:

• What you’re good at

• What you love

• What the world needs

• Who you need to become

When you get these aligned, momentum becomes sustainable. Purpose becomes fuel. And building a business becomes a meaningful journey, not just a stressful one.

If you’re interested in joining one of these Masterminds, you can reach me here:👉 Contact me

2. The Law of Significance: One Is Too Small a Number to Achieve Greatness

Another story reinforced this truth for me—this one from my Ironman Florida race, where I caught up with Chris Nikic and his team.

On November 7, 2020, Chris became the first person with Down syndrome to complete a full Ironman

But here’s the key:

He did not do it alone.

His guide, Dan Grieb, trained with him 4–8 hours a day for a year leading up to the race.

During the race, Dan was tethered to Chris during the swim, stayed next to him on the bike, and matched him stride-for-stride on the run.

His father encouraged him with the commitment they shared:

“Get 1% better every day.”

This is the Law of Significance in action:

Big goals require big support.

Greatness is never a solo project.

Entrepreneurs often struggle with this. They try to carry the vision alone, lead alone, grow alone, and solve problems alone.

But high-performing teams don’t happen by accident—they’re formed intentionally, just like elite sports teams.

That’s why our Corporate Team Coaching Program exists—to help organizations build teams that actually work together.

Key Outcomes:

• Stronger collaboration and communication

• Shared ownership and alignment

• Increased trust and team unity

• Leadership growth across the entire team

• Strengths-based development using DISC & Working Genius

If you want your team to move together with energy, purpose, and clarity, let’s talk:👉 Contact me

Final Thoughts: Lessons From Ironman, Team Hoyt, and Chris Nikic

Team Hoyt taught me this:

Purpose gives you the strength to do hard things.

Chris Nikic taught me this:

Teamwork makes the impossible achievable.

And both reinforce one simple truth for entrepreneurs:

Your business will grow in proportion to your purpose—and the team you build around that purpose.

If your purpose is big enough, and your team is strong enough, your momentum will last not just one season, but a lifetime.