Fathers are a lot like watermelon: green and pink. We kid. What we mean is that dads often present themselves as hard on the outside, yet are actually sweet and soft on the inside. And with Father’s Day quickly approaching, it is time to remember some of the world’s most awesome dads. While many would argue that there’s no dad quite like one’s own, these five dads are pretty incredible.
Jason Lee
Source: Visual News
In 2006, Jason Lee’s mother was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma, which prevented her from seeing her granddaughters whenever they were sick. Despite having to keep the kids away, Lee wanted to make sure his mother was a still part of his daughters’ lives. So he put his skills as a wedding photographer to use and began creating fun, quirky portraits of his two daughters Kayla and Kristin.
Source: Frame Play
Source: Lost in Internet
Although Lee was initially the driving force behind the photos, over time his daughters began coming up with their own ideas. As one looks through the photos, it’s easy to see how the girls have grown over the years, yet the images continue to be as lovable and fun as the originals. It has almost been a decade since Lee first began talking photographs—it’s safe to say he’s a pretty awesome dad.
Source: Lost in Internet
Source: Hybrid Tech
Will Pemble
Source: Daily Mail
What do you do when your son asks if you can build a roller coaster in the backyard? If you’re anything like Will Pemble you’d probably say something like, “sure, why not?” Drawing inspiration from the Kingda Ka ride from Six Flags Great America in New Jersey, Pemble created a functional coaster with two slopes and 180 feet of track—all in the comfort of his own backyard. The intricate project took nearly six months and $3,500, but the end result was a spectacular roller coaster that earns him a place as one of the world’s most awesome dads.
Source: KSL
Source: YouTube
Bryan Martin
Source: Daily Mail
Breanna Martin’s high school graduation was extra special. To celebrate the important milestone, her dad handed her a copy of the Dr. Seuss classic, “Oh, The Places You’ll Go!” At first glance, the book looked like any other copy, but once Martin looked inside, she realized the true power of the child’s tale. For 13 years (starting when Breanna was in kindergarten), Martin had had every teacher and coach describe his daughter, each inspirational figure adding his or her words to the original text. The result was one of the most touching graduation gifts ever.
Source: Daily Mail
Source: Daily Mail
Dick Hoyt
Dick Hoyt and his son Rick are best known as the Team Hoyt, a father-son pair who compete in some of the world’s most daunting physical tests. Rick was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at birth after suffering a loss of oxygen to the brain. Though doctors told Dick and his wife that Rick would have little-to-no brain function, Rick didn’t accept that his son was meant to live in an institution for the rest of his life.
Source: A Runner Sole
Source: The Wrentham Times
Team Hoyt competes in marathons, triathlons and iron man competitions all over the country—in fact, they’ve participated in more than 1,000 competitions over the years. Dick uses special gear to carry, pull and push his son past the finish line despite grueling physical conditions. In 2008 theteam was inducted into the Iron Hall of Fame. However, Dick Hoyt has been an awesome dad from day one, even before all of the races.
Source: Clik/Hear
Dave Engledow
Source: Men’s World
From appearing neglectful to overbearing to incredibly dangerous in his photos, Dave Engledow sure seems he’d win the award for worst parent ever. Thankfully, the hilarious photos are the just the result of Photoshop and one awesome dad. When Alice was born, Engledow knew he wanted to capture her life in a way that she would look back on and treasure—we think he accomplished just that.
Fun Fact: Each of Engledow’s photos contain a World’s Best Dad coffee mug. Can you find it in each of the photos?
Source: Huffington Post
Source: Pixa News
Source: Not A Beer Belly
