A devoted father has completed a triathlon carrying his 13-year-old cerebral palsy-afflicted daughter across land and through water so that she could complete the gruelling event.
Rick van Beek's feat of endurance and show of love for his daughter Madison have led many to call the man from Byron Center, Michigan the 'father of the century'.
But it is not the first race of its kind for van Beek, who said he has participated in more than 70 events, including half-marathons, triathlons and other outdoor races, as part of 'Team Maddy'.
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[The emotion] drives me or inspires me to do the things that I do,' he wrote on his blog last year. 'Call it inspiration, call it motivation, call it what ever you want, I call it LOVE. That will never fade...She is my heart and I am her legs, though someday she might not physically be able to be there with me, she will always be in my heart, quietly cheering me on.'
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