Park Slope Student Runner Goes to the White House

A Park Slope student-runner went to the White House on Monday for the 135th annual White House Easter Egg Roll.

The event, which pulled in 30,000 people from all 50 states, took place on the South Lawn of the White House for this year’s theme “Be Healthy, Be Active, Be You!” as part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! initiative. 

And one of Park Slope’s very own Panagiotis Nerangis, a fifth grader at P.S. 321 and member of the New York Road Runners’ Might Milers, was there.

Nerangis’ mother, Nicoletta applied online and they won the trip down to the nation’s capital.

Nerangis has been a member of NYRR’s Mighty Milers program for three years, the runners’ group free, school-based, youth running program. He has run 104.8 miles so far this year (4 marathons worth) and has a platinum medal for his achievements, which he completed during the school day.

But after school Nerangis is also a NYRR Young Runner, which is a program that uses a team-based structure to help kids set goals and make exercise part of their daily routine. Coaches help the Young Runners run distances from 1 to 6.2 miles each time around the track. He runs at least one 4-mile race each month.

According to Nerangis’ mom, he was looking forward to going to the White House.

“He could barely sleep the night before and was very excited about visiting Obama's house," she said.