need to know
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NYC teacher Pedro Soto was feeling under the weather when he decided to go to the doctor
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After some tests, he was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes
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Unwilling to take medication, he reveals the habit he picked up to significantly improve his prognosis
Pedro Soto had a sore throat, so he went to the doctor, believing it was a viral infection.
However, when her doctor did a blood test, they found something else. In April 2024, the Manhattan school teacher, 56, says he was “officially diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.”
His doctor prescribed medication to keep it under control, but Soto was determined to change his lifestyle first.
“After receiving the news, I chose not to start the medication immediately,” he told PEOPLE. “Instead, I committed to exercise, running twice a week and improving my diet.”
It happened, the race will change his life.
Pedro Soto
NYC Soto Pedro of Marathon
Inspired by one of her colleagues whose husband ran the marathon, Soto applied to the TCS NYC Marathon through an application designed specifically for teachers. He had to share an essay in which he spoke about his diagnosis, and was eventually selected for the team.
As he trained and developed a running habit, he continued to scan blood work and measure the results.
“I check my blood every three months, and [it] A lot has changed,” he says. “After three months, I was back to normal. My blood sugar levels were normal, close to pre-diabetic, but normal.”
While type 2 diabetes – a chronic condition in which the body does not respond well to insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels – cannot be cured, it can Return to Yale School of Medicine.
The marathon took place on November 2, 2025 in New York City. Soto couldn’t begin training consistently until early August, because in June, he was also diagnosed with Lyme disease. Soto’s father also passed away around this time.
Still, he used his race as an opportunity to work through his feelings and emotions, and to build his strength against illness.
“I was grieving, and as I grieve [is] Through running and quality time to think about it,” he shares. “It was running to confront my feelings and thoughts and make peace with me and my dad. It was no coincidence that I was training for running at that time. It was something that really helped me process my loss.”
He didn’t quite know what to expect from the race, so he did his research by watching YouTube videos and reading.
“For me, it was amazing. It’s like a block party, but the block party is the whole city,” he says. “During a run, you’re going to feel some pain. You’re pounding for hours, the same ligaments, the same joints, the same bones and muscles.”
“You start to feel some pain, but the noise of the people, the music, the cheering, everything is louder than your pain,” he adds.
Another thing that kept him going was the motivation of his students.
“The last six miles is when your mind starts sabotaging you: Why are you doing this? You can stop at any time,” he recalls. “I was thinking about my students.”
Soto noted that he works in transfer programs for a “very special population” of students who are not successful in rural school systems.
Pedro Soto
NYC Soto Pedro of Marathon
“We bring them back to school using alternative approaches, pedagogies and engaging activities. They go through a lot,” he continues. “Each one of them is here for a reason, and not just one reason, many reasons. I thought many times, if my students are feeling the pain that they feel when they come to school, I can do it too.”
“I always feel like I’m feeling pain, I’m feeling tired. Fatigue is hitting me now, but they can do it. They do it every day. I can do it for another hour or two,” he says. “These students were an inspiration for me to keep going. I know how hard it is for them … and they still come to school, and they try their best. I can do it.”
The average age of his students is 17, with some as young as 19 or 20. In addition to her motivation to run, Soto says another motivating factor is for her students to take control of their health.
“If I’m in a good mood, it affects my students in a positive way. If I’m sick and I miss classes, if I don’t feel well and I’m tired, it affects my instruction in the classroom, my relationship with students and ultimately my quality as a teacher,” he told PEOPLE.
“Sometimes teachers get burnt out because they can’t balance their lives. This TCS Marathon was a great opportunity for me to balance my life,” he continues. “Sometimes you have to advocate for yourself or put yourself first. That was a great opportunity to do that.”
Read the original article on People
