For this Single Dad, Father’s Day is a Celebration of Learning
A Brooklyn dad celebrates Father’s Day his way.
For many, Father’s Day is filled with joy and celebration – a time to reconnect with parents and share thanks for all they do. But for one Brooklyn father, the day is about reflection.
Irving “Zeus” Hyppolite is a man of many titles. When he’s not helping clients reach their fitness goals as a Nike trainer, he’s running his Brooklyn-based fitness group, The House of Zeus, or working on his upcoming children’s book, Full Court Fuel. Hyppolite has a busy schedule running all of his businesses, but there’s one thing that interrupts the progressive chaos that is being a business owner: his children.
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Aptly named Mars and Earth, the 7- and 8-year-olds are Hyppolite’s world. “My kids are part of everything I do,” the father reflects. However, despite being a loving and present father, he celebrates Father’s Day a bit differently than traditional fathers.
“Becoming a single father stretched me in ways I didn’t expect—it taught me how to show up with more patience, purpose, and presence,” he explains. “Life shifted, and it required me to step into fatherhood fully and without hesitation.”
Hyppolite became a father very young, unlike most men in the United States. According to a study by the National Centre for Social Research, only 6% of those aged 16-24 are fathers. For Hyppolite, having children so young was an experience that would change and reshape his life.
While being a single father may not be as common as being a single mother, the job is no easy feat. Fathers face the same struggles of late nights and early mornings, managing childcare costs, and the emotional and mental strain of raising a human without their counterpart. For Hyppolite, being a single father also meant facing the pressure of gender roles and the stigma that men have it ‘all figured out.’
“One of the hardest parts is admitting when you need help or when you’re feeling overwhelmed. Society doesn’t always give single fathers that space or grace,” Hyppolite reminisced. “We’re expected to keep it all together, and trying to live up to that can feel isolating at times. For a long while, I was in that space, trying to do everything on my own.”
Studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health found that single fathers had a higher proportion of psychological distress compared to partnered fathers, and were more likely to be non-regular workers, self-employed, or unemployed than partnered fathers. Fostering a sense of community is key, especially for single fathers. Studies have also shown that single fathers may have limited social support networks, which can exacerbate feelings of isolation and despair. Single fathers are also less likely to seek professional help for mental health issues compared to single mothers.
“I’ve learned that strength isn’t about handling it alone,” Hyppolite said. “I love my kids so much that I would do anything for them, but that also taught me that showing up for them sometimes means taking care of myself, too.”
For the certified trainer, Father’s Day is more of a day of accountability and connection. He skips the glorified golf trips and expensive steak restaurants, and celebrates the best way he knows how: with his tribe.
“I don’t do anything extravagant. It’s usually a quiet day. But I do make time to connect with other dads I’ve grown with and leaned on,” Hyppolite says of the holiday. “On Father’s Day, we make it a point to support each other— we’ll go out to dinner, talk about life, share stories about our kids, and reflect on this journey of fatherhood. For us, it’s less about validation and more about celebrating the realities of being present, involved fathers. It’s always a space where we can remind each other we’re not doing this alone.”
Father’s Day is a day of celebration, and to Hyppolite, the best way to celebrate is to let your children in on the journey of fatherhood.
“Bring your kids into the process. Let them see what you’re building. Let them understand why you work so hard. They’ll grow up knowing the value of commitment and resilience—and they’ll also feel connected to the journey, not shut out by it.”
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