NBC10 Boston and NECN meteorologist Tevin Wooten is running the 128th Boston Marathon on Monday.
Crossing that finish line is almost here for Wooten, and what a journey it has been.
He’s been documenting it all and this day has a much more personal meaning for him.
“I’ve got asthma and had it since birth and so being a child not able to participate in athletic activity with some of my friends really set me apart. So, I wanted to do this to prove to myself and other asthmatics that you can run,” said Wooten.
Asthma has not stopped him as he is representing the Boston Medical Center with over 80 team members, with their goal of raising $800,000.
Wooten started running a few years ago with some reservations and was initially worried about testing his limits due to his asthma. But after emceeing the Boston Medical Center Pasta Dinner, he learned more about the work the Boston Medical Center does and wanted to do his part to help them out.
He has been training since the fall, battling the occasional knee injury and “training in the middle of winter of New England is not easy, but I think it gives you that toughness, right?” said Wooten.
Wooten will now have to anticipate the weather because it’s going to be hot.
“Yeah, like I don’t know. Being from the south, I actually like the heat more,” he said.
When he crosses the finish line, Wooten said it’s going to be “just one box that I”ve checked, but just knowing that is really just the beginning of the journey.”
And when you run a marathon, your lifestyle changes a lot, so you can imagine he has some cravings that he is going to address when he finishes.
“Maybe a couple of greasy burgers and a nap. I think that’s the thing I crave the most — just sleeping after this,” said Wooten.
NBC10’s Casey Keen, Bill Travers and Monica Wemyss will also be running in the marathon.
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Boston Medical Center is an award-winning hospital with a long standing tradition of providing exceptional medical care. It also provides programs that address the causes of medical needs, including addiction treatments, a food pantry and a teaching kitchen.
“I think Boston Medical Center is great because they are rewriting the standard of excellence of healthcare. They’re not just taking patients into the hospital, but they’re true pillars of the community as well,” Wooten said. “BMC meets patients where they are, no matter their background or circumstance. When there’s a medical need in the community, the staff at BMC figures out a way to address it head on, in an equitable way.”
Wooten said he’s also looking forward to running the marathon for those who can’t, including those with physical limitations or those who are underrepresented when it comes to marathon runners.
“It’s definitely going to be an exciting experience,” he said. “It doesn’t happen in life where everyone is gathered together for the same cause to cheer you on, but that does happen on April 15th from Hopkinton all the way down to Boylston.”
You can follow along with Wooten’s journey on Instagram and X.
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