During an extremely varied career and through personal trials, Edgar Sandoval of Pekin has, as Prometheus had hoped, been shaped by experience; and he has more than survived, he has thrived.

Of the variety of roles Edgar has held throughout his professional career, there’s been one unifying thread, he says: “They’ve all been rooted in communications.”

Earning his degree in Broadcast and Electronic Communication from Marquette University in Milwaukee, Edgar began his communications journey at WISN-TV. Starting at the assignment desk and working up to editor, then photographer, Edgar was poised to go from working behind the scenes to working on-air.

“An internship with the Television Academy Foundation (the Emmys people) in Los Angeles shifted my path,” Edgar says, “and I went on to work on an Academy Awards campaign for Miramax Films.”

Returning to the Midwest, Edgar then spent two years as a reporter and news anchor at WMBD-TV before heading back west to Monterey, California where he anchored weekends at KSBW-TV. One final major move back to Peoria to work at WEEK-TV happened just before Edgar and his wife, Shannon, married. Sixteen months later, they welcomed their first child to the world.

Edgar’s life continued to move along quicky. “In 2001, Caterpillar reached out about an opening on their video production team,” he recalls. “I took the opportunity, and it proved to be great timing for both my career and my family as this role provided the stability for my wife to stay home. Since then, I’ve held a range of marketing and communications roles at Caterpillar, including producing videos, writing for the Cat Trials, and hosting live events for former CEO Doug Oberhelman. Today, I work in sponsorships, producing content tied to our partnerships with the National Hockey League, Major League Soccer, and others.”

Edgar’s connection to soccer is one that extends far beyond producing video content. In 2001, he started volunteering as an assistant with the Pekin High School girls’ soccer program. After three years in that role, he was made head coach – a role he still holds to this day. Pekin High boys’ soccer has also benefitted from Edgar’s involvement since 2019, although mostly in a social media and home game announcer capacity.

The girls’ soccer program has become truly competitive during Edgar’s time there, with a 239-167-44 overall record and the school’s only soccer conference title, won in 2017. They have also received the Illinois High School Soccer Coaches Association Sportsmanship Award in 2014 for their “Woman of the Match” initiative. Many Pekin High School players have continued to compete at the collegiate level, including five who signed with Division I programs.

“I truly love coaching at Pekin,” Edgar declares. “When I started, many players were multi-sport athletes just looking for something fun to do in the spring. As soccer has grown at the youth level, the program has become more competitive, but my approach has remained consistent.

I try to strike a balance — being demanding without being demeaning. I focus on teaching rather than joystick coaching, helping players understand the ‘why’ behind what we do. Most importantly, I want it to be an experience they enjoy.”

“At the end of the day,” Edgar continues, “players won’t remember most games or results, but they will remember the feeling of being part of a team — and hopefully a family. Beyond the game itself, soccer is a vehicle to teach life lessons: leadership, teamwork, accountability, communication, and how to handle both success and adversity.”

Adversity, as Edgar discovered, can be handled in a variety of ways. In 2009, while attempting to re-enter the U.S. after a Caterpillar video shoot in Mexico, Edgar was mistakenly flagged as “armed and dangerous.” Despite his valid identification, he was cuffed, led away from his co-workers, and detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for more than an hour. 

A lesser person would have been bitter and lashed out. Edgar, however, opted to turn the experience into something constructive, further shaping him into the person he is today. “It was stressful at the time,” he admits, “but about a year later, I turned that experience into material for my first open mic in 2010. Six years later, I entered the comedy competition at the Jukebox Comedy Club in Peoria, and I’ve been performing consistently ever since.”

The last 16 years has seen Edgar writing, reworking, and refining his material as he has joked his way to bigger gigs. Headlining at venues in the Midwest and Las Vegas, Edgar has also opened for multiple nationally known comedians like Tom Arnold, Charlie Berens, Nick Griffin, Adrienne Iapalucci, Chris Kattan, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Erica Rhodes, Rob Schneider, Emma Willman, Roy Wood Jr., and more.

“I’m extremely blessed that after featuring for a number of comics while they were passing through the area, they have had me feature for them on the road,” Edgar says, “most notably April Macie, Ryan Niemiller, Liz Miele, Kevin McCaffery, and the late Mike Armstrong.”

“There’s nothing quite like making people laugh; it’s immediate and genuine,” he explains. “If I can help create a great memory — awesome. Life can be difficult, so if I can help people forget their troubles — even briefly — that’s incredibly fulfilling.”

While striving to make others laugh, Edgar is not without his own troubles. His wife was diagnosed in late 2024 with brain tumors that had metastasized from melanoma. “After surgery, radiation, and ongoing immunotherapy, she is now in remission,” Edgar relates. “We are incredibly grateful that her scans continue to come back clear. That experience has reinforced what matters most. None of what I do is possible without her.”

Whether through journalism, coaching, or comedy, Edgar has been shaped. Being entrusted to tell people’s stories; helping his players improve, grow, and gain confidence; or making people laugh, Edgar looks for and builds new opportunities to bring people together. 

That is reflected in efforts like working with the Avanti’s Event Center to bring nationally touring standup comedians to Pekin and being the founder and past president of Central Illinois United, which is “the top of the pyramid for youth soccer in the region,” as Edgar puts it.

Like a modern-day Prometheus, as Edgar is shaped by his own experiences, he uses that to help shape others into better versions of themselves. While seeking work in his chosen field of communication, Edgar reveals that communication is really about connection — connecting with others throughout the world but especially with others in Pekin, the town he, his wife, and their four children proudly call home.

“Pekin has become a central part of who I am,” Edgar reveals. “While I grew up in Milwaukee and am still a loyal Green Bay Packers fan, I’ve now lived here longer, and the support I’ve received has been tremendous. From the backing of the high school and serving on boards for Pekin Pride Soccer Club and The Boys and Girls Club to the enthusiasm for events like the annual Stand Up for Kiwanis fundraiser that I co-produce with Baylee Gambetti, the community has played a huge role in both my coaching and comedy journeys.”