As a teenager, the Fulton County sheriff ran the Peachtree Road Race backwards.

One run, I'm getting ready to hit Cardiac Hill and Arthur Blank walks past me. I'm like, “I'm not going to let Arthur Blank beat me.” And so I kept pushing and pushing and pushing. And that's one thing that makes the race so special: Whether you're mayor, city council member, Arthur Blank or anyone from anywhere in the world, you're all in this together.

Did you beat Mr. Blank?

I absolutely did it. To this day, he didn't know this was happening.

Has being elected sheriff in 2021 changed your relationship with the Peachtree?

I went from being a relatively carefree young adult race runner to becoming the sheriff of the largest county in the state, understanding the idiosyncrasies and nuances of contributing to the safety and security of thousands of people. For me it is very special. I'm very intentional, when I see young officers throughout the course, I make sure to talk to them. It’s exciting to take this moment in time and say thank you. It does not matter [which agency they represent]; there are so many people entering this space to keep us safe. It's pretty huge.

What does your running routine look like?

I try to run/walk at least 5-6 times a week, 3-5 miles per day. I'm an early riser, so I get up at 4:30 in the morning. I have lost almost 30 pounds in the last year. When you have these very serious conversations about high blood pressure, prediabetes, all that stuff, I tell people all the time to listen to what their doctor says. And from a mental health perspective, I remind people that stress kills too. We [as elected officials] I want to focus on being stress-free.

Any goals for the Peachtree this year?

I want to run in under 55 minutes, so I've been doing a little training. You might want to keep this a secret because I want to make sure I beat the mayor this year. He beat me last year. He doesn't know it's a competition; I haven't told him yet. I'll text him right away so he can be notified.