Christopher and Nicole Russell of Woodstock are gearing up for the AJC Peachtree Road Race to celebrate their remarkable transformation, not to claim a trophy. Together, they’ve shed over 150 pounds, turning years of health challenges into a story of resilience and hope.
Nicole, 32, has lost 87 pounds since September, while Christopher, 36, has dropped 65. Their training regimen started in April and is intense: weightlifting three days a week and running four to five times weekly, preparing for the world’s largest 10K on July 4.
Nicole is confident they will complete the 6.2-mile race, while Christopher aims higher, hoping they can cross the finish line in an hour.
“If he says it’s going to be an hour, it’s going to be an hour,” Nicole says with a smile.
A love story fueled by faith and determination
Their journey began in 2018 through social media, leading to an unconventional first date — a trip to the mall. The date went on for hours, and by the time it ended, Nicole realized she had found a truly good man who was devoted to his faith, ever the gentleman, and could overlook her clumsiness. They’ve been inseparable ever since.
In March 2020, their lives were upended when Christopher fell critically ill with COVID-19. When he called Nicole to drive him to the hospital, he had symptoms of a stomach bug. But by the time they reached the hospital, he was crying. “I couldn’t breathe,” he recalled.
Christopher was hospitalized in a medically induced coma for three months. Nicole could not be at his side because of the hospital’s COVID-19 restrictions. She also faced another major scare: Her parents and grandmother also contracted the virus. Her parents survived. Her grandmother didn’t.
Credit: Phil Skinner
Credit: Phil Skinner
Christopher woke from his coma, thinking he’d been asleep for a day. Nicole, by telephone, broke the news to him that three months had passed. “I was confused — very, very confused,” Christopher said. “Nicole and my family had to help me put the pieces back together.”
Christopher had to relearn basic skills like writing, speaking and walking. Nicole was at his side. “He just needed that bodily rebuild — to say the least,” she reflected.
Christopher, a deliverance minister and member of Lionheart Church in Austell, also found a way to find good in all he had experienced.
“I have always had my faith,” Christopher said. “I’ve been in situations where God has pulled me from the trenches and the mud, and I stood on my feet.”
He said he has been given “a second chance to get things right and tell my story about God. I think people need to see that.”
From tragedy to triumph
The couple’s commitment to health deepened as they discussed their future, including plans to have children. They recognized the need to address their lifelong struggles with weight and unhealthy eating. Nicole had undergone traditional bariatric surgery in 2018, but complications from lupus made it challenging to maintain her weight loss.
In late 2024, a few months after their wedding, both underwent Duodenal Switch surgery through Northside Hospital’s Bariatric Program. This minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery limits fat absorption and causes favorable changes to gut hormones to reduce appetite.
Credit: Phil Skinner
Credit: Phil Skinner
Nicole had to have two surgeries, the first to reverse her gastric bypass.
Christopher’s recovery from his surgery was swift. “He was back in the gym the next week,” Nicole said.
Nicole aims to lose an additional 47 pounds, bringing her weight below her high school levels.
Christopher has seen the benefits of dropping 65 pounds: no more sleep apnea or diabetes. He is continuing his fitness journey and hopes to lose more weight but doesn’t have a specific goal.
Both are inspired by thinking of their future children.
“I want to get on roller coasters with them,” Nicole said. “I want to do the things that parents enjoy with their kids, and I want to teach them the correct behavior behind foods.”
Christopher hopes they can pass on the good habits they’ve learned with food so their children won’t have to live with the label of “bigger kids.”
Overcoming obstacles, embracing opportunities
Christopher and Nicole talk openly about their challenges, including missed opportunities like a helicopter ride because of weight limits and the stress of rushing out to buy Nicole a new wedding dress after the one she bought three months earlier no longer fit.
But being candid about these setbacks only fuels their determination. Nicole, who has followed Christopher into his ministry at their church, always dreamed of running the Peachtree Road Race.
She signed up for the race once before but backed out.
This time, she has committed to joining the thousands who annually run the race. “I was just tired of saying, ‘I want to do things,’ and then don’t do them,” she says.
Their story is a testament to the power of perseverance, faith and love. As they prepare to cross the Peachtree finish line, their message to others is: “No matter what the obstacles, there is hope to overcome.”
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