West Hartford Teacher Runs In Memory Of Late Son

WEST HARTFORD/BRISTOL/CANTON/BURLINGTON, CT — A Bristol mom and West Hartford schoolteacher is running these days for more than just her health.

She's running in memory of her beloved young son.

Sunday, Margo Parenti, a fifth-grade teacher at Braeburn Elementary School in West Hartford, participated in the Burlington to Collinsville Classic 10K road race.

Hosted by the Hartford Marathon Foundation, the picturesque course followed the Farmington River in Burlington and ended in the village of Collinsville in Canton.

Nearly two years ago, however, Parenti could not have imagined running in any road race, especially since she wasn't a runner, despite being on the track & field team in high school.

Then her 7-year-old son Nicholas Parenti was diagnosed May 17, 2022, with a rare, aggressive form of brain cancer called Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG). He would die on Aug. 31, 2022.

According to FYZICAL Therapy & Balance Centers in Bristol, Parenti was "on a healing journey for both her body and her soul" when she decided to run the 10K.

Preparing to begin running, according to FYZICAL, wasn't easy for Parenti.

She began training with friends for the Hartford Half Marathon last year when she started to experience severe ankle pain courtesy of tendinitis, which prompted her to visit FYZICAL.

According to FYZICAL, Parenti bonded with her physical therapist, Dr. Brenna Kelley, also a runner in the Hartford Half Marathon.

Ultimately, Parenti ran the event a year ago without any pain, wrote FYZICAL in a statement, and she then vowed to continue running — all with an eye toward the sky for her late son.

Parenti said she, even, wants to complete a race a month.

“It seems like a lot, but I’m blessed to be healthy and able to participate in these races. By challenging myself, I’m setting a positive example for those near and dear to my heart: my 13-year-old son, my students, my peers, and myself,” she said.

“We play a lot of roles in life, and the most important thing I’ve learned in this journey so far is to put your health first, and if you need some help, seek it.”

For more information on FYZICAL in Bristol, click on this link.

For more information on the Burlington to Collinsville 10K, click on this link.