Former Marblehead Hockey Player Tackling Boston Marathon

Story by Bob Holmes/Patch Staff

MARBLEHEAD, MA – Like most in Massachusetts, Bobby Carpenter has always been a fan of the Boston Marathon. But his sport of choice, hockey, didn't leave much room for long winter training runs. That changed last year when the longtime North Reading resident, now living in North Andover, decided to run his first marathon. He ran to raise money for the Last Call Foundation, established in memory of fallen firefighter Michael Kennedy who died in the tragic Back Bay fire of 2014.

Carpenter finished in 3:47, pretty good for a guy who spent 18 years in the National Hockey League and was the first American-born hockey player to be selected in the first round of the NHL draft. Interviewed after the race, Carpenter said he didn't plan on running another marathon. But that changed in June.

Carpenter had always known Dennis Laing, going back to the days when Carpenter played at St. John's Prep and Laing played for Marblehead High School. Both had talented daughters, with Alex Carpenter starring first at Governor's Academy then Boston College and Denna Laing who played for Princeton and then the Boston Pride.

It was playing for the Pride during the Outdoor Women's Classic at Gillette Stadium that Laing fell and collided with the boards, suffering a severe spinal cord injury. That was Dec. 31, 2015.
Bobby Carpenter's decision to tackle the 26.2 miles a second time started with a June conversation.

"We just started talking," said Carpenter of his time with Dennis Laing. "After a few conversations this is something we decided to do."

On Monday Carpenter will run the marathon again, this time with a friend as he propels Denna Laing from Hopkinton to Boston. They're competing to raise money for Journey Forward, a non-profit organization dedicated to bettering the lives of those who have suffered a spinal cord injury through an intense exercise program. It is where Denna Laing goes 4-5 times a week, according to Carpenter.

For Carpenter, who retired from hockey in 1999, the connections were everywhere.

"My daughter Alex has played against Denna at every level," said Carpenter on the Journey Forward website. "My son Bobo is currently at BU where Travis Roy went to school. So you can see how close and important this is to me."

Team Denna just made sense. And if you see bib number 30492 approaching Monday, make sure and shout words of encouragement. This is new ground for both Carpenter and Denna.
"We’ve only done it twice, a qualifying run in Florida with her in January and last Sunday, we went to Marblehead," said Carpenter, now 53. “It’s been good. It’s a little bit slower place. Other than that it hasn’t been difficult."

It helps to have someone to talk to, even though at times it's a challenge.

"We don’t talk too much when I'm going uphill. But we have a conversation about everything. She’s been great, really good. Everything is really positive right now. She has a great attitude.”
Not to mention a partner ready to go the distance Monday.

Photo: Jeff Vigue, General Manager of Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza of Westwood along with Bobby Carpenter and Denna Laing at last week's fundraising event.