Cyndi and Russell met in the tenth grade at Hutchinson High School in Hutchinson, Minnesota. Cyndi was a new transfer student that year, and the two have been together ever since. During their 28-year marriage, they have traveled together many times. Because they live in a cold place, they like to head south to the ocean for a couple of weeks in winter; thus their best travel experiences usually involve lying on a beach. According to Cyndi, "Our worst travel experience is when I have tried to 'get by cheap' and we end up in a dive and have to scramble for a hotel at the last minute."

Russell and Cyndi decided to team up for THE AMAZING RACE "to face the challenge of racing around the world, seeing all the beautiful locations, but most importantly, building a lifetime memory with each other." As they approach the starting line, they resolve that "win or lose, we will allow this experience to draw us closer together. Our relationship with God and each other cannot be measured in any dollar amount."