Going the Distance

Chris Nasser ’10 and his marathon partner, Bentley-Grace Hicks, are setting world records — and inspiring people around the world.

BY AMBER RASMUSSEN

One of the most astonishing things about humans is their ability to be faced with adversity and persevere against all odds. To some, it may seem as though these types of people are rare or extraordinary, but history and everyday life display just the opposite. The Bible shows us that regular people are the ones God chooses to do miracles. We see daily that the people making the most difference in the world are not superhuman; rather, they are faithful, consistent people who desire to do a small measure of good in their lifetime.

Chris Nasser ’10 is no stranger to a challenge. As a roofing contractor, triathlon coach and trainer, and a new father, Nasser maximizes his time to excel in the things he loves. Nasser began running track and cross country in high school with his twin brother, Anthony ’10, who served as both his partner and motivator. While at Point, he played soccer, as the University did not yet have a cross country or track program. Nasser and his brother worked at Woodland Christian Camp during their summers in college, and the two would ride their bikes to camp and run around the camp. One summer, a church elder noticed that the brothers had a talent for running and gifted them a new bike, encouraging the two to train for a triathlon. Since then, Nasser has competed in the IronMan World Championship twice and has run the Boston Marathon twice.

A few years ago, Nasser’s wife, Jaclyn, began volunteering with the Kyle Pease Foundation, an Atlanta-based organization that seeks to improve the lives of people with disabilities through sports. She would run short races while pushing an athlete in a wheelchair. According to the foundation, studies have shown that “in-seat athletes experience the same rush of endorphins as their push-assist athlete does.” This creates a moment of inclusion and normalcy for the in-seat athlete.

In the beginning, Nasser assisted by pumping up wheelchair tires and aiding athletes as they switched from their everyday wheelchair to their race wheelchair. As time went on, however, Nasser became more involved.

“They said, ‘Hey, you’re fast, you should race with us,’” says Nasser, recalling how he began racing with the Kyle Pease Foundation team.

Through the foundation, he connected with Bentley-Grace Hicks, a 20-year-old athlete with a disability who had the goal of racing in the Boston Marathon. Inspired by her goal, Nasser and Hicks began training together. “I never would have attempted it if it weren’t for her goal,” says Nasser. This was not Nasser’s first time training for a marathon, but this training was vastly different from any training experience he had had before. “When it’s just me, I can just take off and run anywhere. But this time, it took a lot more preparation,” he says. First, Nasser would have to travel the 45 minutes to get to Hicks’s hometown. Then he and her family would have to transfer Hicks from her everyday chair to her race chair. Once she was settled, they would begin their training run, but there was always the

threat of getting a flat tire, and they had to make sure their route was safe for the both of them. Despite the more challenging aspects of their training, Nasser was surprised by the support they received from those along their training route.

“We became kind of regulars on the route, and people remembered us and were very supportive,” he explains.

The Boston Marathon is one of the most prestigious marathons in the world. Because of this, the marathon requires participants to first qualify for the race by earning a certain time in another marathon. In Nasser and Hicks’s qualifying marathon, they met their goal time to qualify for Boston — and afterward discovered that they had beaten the Guinness World Record for fastest male pushing a wheelchair. Guinness World Record rules, however, require that those attempting to break a record must first apply and officially declare their attempt to break a record.

Nasser and Hicks felt confident in their ability to beat the record, so they applied and prepared to attempt the record on October 11, 2021, in the Boston Marathon. When race day came around, the duo set the new world record for fastest male pushing a wheelchair with a time of 2 hours, 50 minutes and 21 seconds. This was Nasser’s fastest marathon time ever.

Although not his first time running the Boston Marathon, Nasser’s experience in Boston in 2021 was much different than his previous experiences. He traveled with the Kyle Pease Foundation, which was supporting three teams of two athletes. This meant that the group was traveling with three athletes who each required two wheelchairs—one for daily use and one for race use.

“Everything is more complicated when you have a disability,” says Nasser.

He quickly discovered the daily difficulties people with disabilities go through. From navigating the city’s public transportation system to dealing with people leaving trash and large objects in the middle of the sidewalk, it became clear to Nasser that the world was not designed to be accessible to those with disabilities.

Still, the joy of finishing and setting a new record made the difficulties seem small and insignificant in comparison.

“It was just so cool to see her joy and the recognition she got from it,” says Nasser. “It made her and her parents so happy. I mean, they were told she might not live more than a few weeks, and now here she is at 20 years old breaking world records. It’s amazing.”

Nasser also reflects on the importance of having a community of people to support him and Hicks.

“When you’re running by yourself, you cross the finish line and get your medal and go home,” he explains, shrugging. “But this time, when we crossed the finish line, we had a whole group of people, all wearing our T-shirts, cheering us on. It was much more special and rewarding.” He admits that it is much easier to push himself when he knows the group is there cheering him and Hicks on.

Nasser gave special credit to his wife, who sacrificed a lot of time taking care of their newborn son alone so Nasser and Hicks could train, and to Hicks’s family, who has become especially close with his own family. “We’ve all really bonded,” he says. “They’re in love with our son. It’s awesome.”

It is clear that Nasser views Hicks as the heart and soul of their team. A sense of humility radiates from him as he recalls the party that was thrown for Hicks after their success in Boston, and his joy for her is evident. The duo has formed a deep bond that could only have been forged in the fires of adversity, and it is a bond that is unlikely to fade over time.

The future looks very hopeful for Nasser and Hicks. They plan to definitely run the Boston Marathon again, but they will not attempt to break their record any time soon. “I don’t think anyone is going to try to break that for a while,” he laughs.

In addition to their own training as a team, Hicks has launched an organization called Race 4 Grace, which hosts road races for all types of runners. The third annual Race 4 Grace 5K and 10K will be held in Atlanta on May 7, which is Hicks’s 21st birthday, and all the proceeds will go to the Kyle Pease Foundation. Hicks is also a massive Auburn University fan, and she has a goal of hosting a Race 4 Grace event at the University soon. Nasser says, “You don’t have to be fast to run with our group; you just have to show up.” Nasser and Hicks’s story is one of perseverance, of strength and of depending on the people around them to push them to work harder and achieve more. They continued to show up every day. They continued to train when it was not always fun. They were faithful in their commitment to their goal. They looked to one another and to their families for inspiration and purpose, and they were able to be successful.

They are not necessarily extraordinary people benefiting the Kyle on their own, but together with their team, they have accomplished extraordinary things.