News Story About Trainer Curly Parenti by Terri Rimmer - originally published by Associated Content, 2008

Cathy "Curly" Parenti, 48, was remembered by family and friends in a funeral service recently at Celebration Community Church in Fort Worth, TX. (Source: Fort Worth Star-Telegram).

She was a personal trainer born in Chicago, IL Sept. 26, 1960, having once worked as a hairdresser and physical therapy aide and later finding her passion in exercise and fitness, according to her obituary which read "Cathy had sparkling eyes, a knowing, warm smile, and a deep love of people. Cathy touched everyone's heart and will be missed forever by her family and friends."

In 2003 I had the pleasure of doing a story on Parenti, a Fort Worth resident, for The Ally Newspaper. I was impressed by her dedication to fitness, enthusiasm for her work, and willingness to help others. As I've said about so many others I've known who have committed sucidie, Parenti was one of the last people you would expect to end their life.

According to star-telegram.com, she was preceded in death by her father Ronald Parenti, John Nykaza, and brothers Dominic James Parenti and Robert Craig Nykaza. Survivors include her mother Marilyn Nykaza, brothers Joseph Nykaza and wife Nicole Nykaza, their children Ava and Alexa Nykaza, and many friends.

Parenti's clients ranged from a concert pianist to a hairdresser.

A certified personal trainer for the last 16 years once featured in a Sylvester Stallone movie, ran Curl's Family Gym out of her home, specialized in toning, body building, weight gain or loss, and was a specialist rehabilitator for senior citizens.

Parenti opened her home gym in Fort Worth in August 2001 after working at the Cowtown Gym for seven years before it closed a few years ago. Four of those seven years were spent managing that facility which has since re-opened as The Gym under a new owner.

When Parenti managed the gym she had the top power-lifters training there including the American Gladiators and Wimbledon Tennis Champs Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King. Parenti, who met "Ice," a famous Gladiator, tried out twice for that team and passed auditions but was told she needed to get an agent to become one.

Parenti operated a salon out of Gold's Gym for five years when she started competing in body building and other training. She decided then to sell all her salon items and open a gym.

"What really interested me was watching 'Rocky,'" Parenti once said.

The 156 lb., 5'7" Parenti from an Italian family later moved to Decatur, GA. She won numerous awards and honors in her career and her clientele has included doctors.

In August 1997 Parenti won first place in the Strong Man/Strong Women Contest and on Oct. 20th and 21st of that year participated in the Cow Town Power Lifting Contest also winning first place. She held the state title for power lifting for 1995 and no one had broken that record as of 2003. In 1994 she was certified by Reebok as a Professional Alliance Instructor and in 1993 certified by the National Education Corporation in CPR in fitness and nutrition through their Independent Study Division and certified in personal training.

She also gained experience that year in gym management. Sixteen years ago Parenti designed twist and tone exercise boards, a product that went over big for awhile but died out. In July 1991 she was awarded the First Place State Record Holder for "Baddest Bench" for the top five women in the nation in the bench press contest in Abilene and from 1990 to 1992 she was a personal trainer at Gold's Gym.

It was after she was featured in June 1987's Arm Wrestling Magazine that Parenti got a part as an extra in Sylvester Stallone's movie "Over The Top."