“Enrique always put people before himself, he made people feel like they belong”- Elizabeth Barnes, Close friend and teammate of Delgado-Garcia
A boy who was born in Puerto Rico but raised a Central Mass kid, Enrique Delgado-Garcia was the epitome of what it meant to be a great human being.
I was lucky enough to see Deglado-Garcia in person at last year’s annual alumni mile at the home Westfield outdoor track meet in spring 2024 and whilst I never had the pleasure to speak to him, there were 2 observations that I was able to make: 1, he was an incredibly large human being who looked like he should have been playing defensive end on the gridiron and not on a running track. And 2, he did everything he ever did with a smile that could stretch a mile; he started with a smile, ran with a smile and finished with a smile.
Delgado Garcia was born on January 2nd 1999 in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico but moved to Worcester as a young boy. He would graduate from North Worcester High School in 2017 and would go on to pursue a degree in Criminal Justice from Westfield State where he would end up competing athletically in both track and field and cross country in his 5th year senior season. After graduation in 2022, he would go on to work at the DA’s office in Worcester before enrolling in State Police Academy where he was set to graduate on October 9th 2024. Tragically, aged 25 Enrique Delgado-Garcia passed away surrounded by family and loved ones on September 13th 2024 with less than a month to go in his training. His passing was reportedly caused by an injury sustained through a training exercise whilst at the state police academy. A large proportion of newspapers and television stations picked up the story with speculation and conspiracies around the passing and potential hazing allegations. 272 people have signed a petition about the “Unequivocal MURDER” of Delgado-Garcia. And if you are looking to read an article about the controversy surrounding his passing, then there are hundreds of pieces of media where you can find that; but this is not that piece. This is written with the memory of Enrique Delgado-Garcia in mind, and not the way he passed.
Fifth year senior John Nekitopolis was a teammate with Delgado-Garcia in 2021-2022 on the track and field team, when Nekitopolis was a sophomore and Delgado-Garcia was a fifth year senior, but the age gap between the two didn’t matter. John remarks how Delgado-Garcia was far too happy to be at a cross country practice. Heading into the season, Nekitopolis was battling an injury which he had sustained during freshman year. He mentioned how this injury was hard on him both physically and mentally but Delgado-Garcia was with him every step of the way to support him through the battle. “I was having a really rough time being there, not being able to practice and he(Delgado-Garcia) reached out and he was being a good role model and mentor, even though it was his first season. . . he made me feel like I belonged.”
Enrique wasn’t only a role model on the track but also off of it too. John talked about how “driven and caring” person with all of the younger people and acted like a big brother to everyone on the team. “More importantly he was a role model to me. . . he was the kind of person you wanted to be like. . .If you were having a tough time, he was there with you every step of the way and he never had a problem showing that he cared”
Elizabeth Barnes from Weare, NH shared a lot of these views on how Delgado-Garcia interacted with the team and what he meant to younger members of the team. But Delgado-Garcia’s influence on Barnes was felt across more than just the track. “I wanted to follow in his footsteps. . .he massively impacted my career path and he was someone who I included on my recommendation when trying to get work experience in the criminal justice industry.” Criminal Justice is one of the most popular majors at Westfield State so Delgado-Garcia choosing the pursue it wasn’t that much of a surprise but what was surprising, was his plans when he finally emerged in the industry. “He wanted to help people. . .he wanted to fix the criminal justice system and do what was right. He was going to help me get into the academy myself,” said Barnes.
Enrique Delgado-Garcia meant so much to so many and will not be forgotten quickly but how we remember him will have to stand the test of time among so much controversy. A tattoo will sit upon Barnes’ shoulder for the rest of her life remembering her “big brother”.
Teammates will remember him as a mentor, Friends will remember him as a role model and the rest of us should remember him a story of what it meant to live life the right way.
