Marty Ayotte approaches the finish line of the New York Marathon.
By Ed Karvoski Jr., Contributing Writer
Worcester resident Marty Ayotte, age 62, has become known as a multitalented athlete, musician and radio broadcaster. Being an incomplete paraplegic doesn’t slow his pace as he pedals a handcycle around the city at least three days a week. He has completed 11 marathons, five half-marathons and one 10K.
He credits his handcycle introduction in the 1990s to his then school age son, Brad.
“I was sitting in the car and sent my son into the Greendale Mall to buy shoes for school and he saw this display of a handcycle,” Ayotte relayed. “He came running out and said, ‘Daddy, you’ve got to see this!’ I grabbed my cane, hobbled my way into the mall and saw the handcycle. It gave me a new freedom.”
In 1987, Ayotte felt weakness in his legs. An MRI revealed a growth on his spinal cord. A second MRI discovered a teratoma, a benign tumor.
He completed his first marathon handcycling in May 2005 in Burlington, Vt.
“I hit my wall at about five and half miles and thought, ‘Wow. I’ve still got 20-plus to go,’” he recalled. “I just kept going, and going, and going – and I did it.”
Five months later, he completed the Hartford Marathon. There, he learned a valuable lesson about handcycling during inclement weather.
“I had never done a race in the rain and wasn’t prepared,” he shared. “I didn’t have anything covering my face, so it was gravel, oil and everything coming up on my face for almost three hours. I’ve done 11 marathons and I’ve never quit one.”
In some races Ayotte is among a few handcyclists and in others he’s the only one. He cites the New York Marathon in 2011 as his most memorable.
“There were 97 handcyclists and I came in 47th, so I was right in the middle of the pack,” he noted. “It’s extremely memorable because I was there with elite athletes from around the world.”
His love for athletics and music connected in 2004 when he attended a blues festival at Wachusett Mountain. The adaptive ski department director saw Ayotte on his handcycle and suggested he try sit-skiing. The sport became another one of his passions.
“The most exciting thing I’ve done in my life is skiing,” he declared. “I could go places that I didn’t think I’d be able to go again. To think that now I can get up to the top of a mountain and go down 50 miles an hour was wicked exciting for me.”
His varied resume now includes retired sit-ski instructor.
“As a ski racer, you ski a little bit out of your box, so you run the risk of crashing and injury,” he said. “I had to quit because it wasn’t in my blood to just ski nicely downhill. I want to be the first one to reach the bottom every time.”
In recent years, Ayotte has handcycled in the distance events held each June in his hometown of Worcester. Last year he participated in the Worcester Running Festival Half Marathon & 5K as a harmonica player and vocalist with Gurus of Blues.
“I’ve always listened to music since grammar school, having the nine-volt transistor radio on my pillow and running out of a battery almost every night,” he said. “I somehow ended up getting a harmonica 40-plus years ago and was intrigued by the sound.”
He now performs with Grade “A” Fancy, nominee for Best Americana Act in the 2016 Worcester Music Awards. As a programmer for Worcester community radio station WCUW 91.3 FM, he hosts “Blues Hit Big Town” every other Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m., and “Hepcats, Hillbillies and Rock ‘n’ Roll” Wednesdays from 6 to 9 a.m.
Additionally, Ayotte reads stories about athletes with disabilities on the program “Audio Journal Sports Page,” Fridays from 5 to 6 p.m. Audio Journal is a nonprofit radio, cable and online broadcast service for people who are blind, visually impaired or otherwise unable to read print.
Ayotte appreciates the opportunity to share his message, whether as an athlete, musician or broadcaster.
“If you have a dream or a desire in your life, set a goal and go for it,” he advised. “Make the goal in little steps and you’ll eventually get there.”
Photos/submitted
