Type 1 Diabetes Influencer Completes NYC Marathon to Inspire Others

Little Rock resident Neil Greathouse crossed the finish line at the New York City Marathon, adding a 26.2-mile medal to a 34-year daily endurance test of living with Type 1 diabetes, KATV reported.

For Greathouse, who has built a following as a diabetes influencer on social media, the race was a tangible way to demonstrate what the condition demands. He said that a diagnosis on day one effectively signs a person up for an unending race.

“You know, there are there are a lot of people living with type one diabetes. The thing you don’t realize when you’re diagnosed with type one on day one is that you actually just signed up for a marathon. You just didn’t realize it,” Greathouse told KATV.

“You are running this race. There is no finish line because there’s no cure, and there’s a lot of people that will tell you in your life that you can’t do something because of type one.”

He aimed to prove a point through action rather than words.

“I try and live my life by this whole show don’t tell mindset. Like I’m going to show you that you can, and so what better way to do it than to go run one of the?”

Greathouse told KATV. “I mean, you’re from Chicago, so you know the Chicago has a really big marathon, but there is nothing bigger than New York City. The crowds, all of that.”

Eighty teammates ran alongside him, all managing Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. While New York handed out medals for finishing, Greathouse pointed out that the condition itself offers no such recognition, prompting him to wear his medal for a straight week.

Managing the condition day-to-day requires hundreds of extra decisions involving fats, proteins, and carbohydrate counts on top of everyday life. Greathouse was diagnosed during flight training while serving in the Air Force, a turning point that redirected his life path.

“Nobody tells you there’s a there’s a ton of math. There’s a lot of math involved. I’m not really good at math, but you sort of have to be,” Greathouse told KATV.

Technology like the Omnipod 5 tubeless insulin pump allows him to manage insulin needs directly from his phone. On social media platforms under the handle @thebetes on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, alongside his website yourbestt1dyear.com, he shares these tools and offers support to newly diagnosed children and families.

“Like a little kid gets diagnosed, they put this thing on their arm, and they, you know, they’re like, ‘Am I going to be different?’ But then you go on social media and you see other people living with this. It’s like it’s literally like getting a hug from an entire community of people,” Greathouse told KATV.

He advised anyone newly diagnosed that goals remain achievable with extra planning, stressing that individuals are doing a difficult job rather than a bad one. Looking ahead, Greathouse noted plans for the Little Rock Marathon.