An Incredible Ironman

An Ironman triathlon is one of the most demanding sporting events in the world. The race, which consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bicycle ride and 26.2-mile run (i.e., a marathon) back-to-back-to-back, must be completed in less than 17 hours.

The physical and mental demand on the athletes is high, but once completed, they can officially claim the title of an "Ironman."😎

🏊‍♂️🚴‍♂️🏃‍♂️ Meet the athlete... Chris Nikic's journey to Ironman wasn't a simple one; the 22-year-old underwent open-heart surgery at only five-months-old and has spent his life battling a series of medical complications.

• A Special Olympics Champion Ambassador, Chris also has Down syndrome, but the determined triathlete never lets his disabilities slow him down.
• "People treated me different," Chris told CNN of growing up with Down syndrome. "They were telling me that I can't do that or can't do this."

Now a Guinness World Record holder for the first athlete with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon, he's proven time-after-time that he can do anything he sets his mind to. 

📈 One percent better… Rather than compare himself to other athletes, Chris shares that his recipe for success is to get “1% better every day.”

He only started training for triathlon races in 2018 after he wanted to start exercising again. While Chris had played sports as a child, he had fallen out of practice as an adult. 

He decided to take it slow at first, starting with short and simple sprint races. 

• “The first time he ever did a sprint with Special Olympics," said Chris’s mom, Trish. "He came in dead last. But you know what? Chris was happy.”

Chris had caught the racing bug. Next up? The Ironman.

💪 Leveling up… For three years, Chris dedicated himself to training for his eventual Ironman Triathlon. And last year, he finally made his dream a reality.

• Though he ran into a host of complications during his race – like stepping on an anthill and crashing once on his bike – Chris finished strong and just-in-time, crossing the finish line at sixteen hours, 46 minutes, and nine seconds.👏👏👏

🏅🚪 Opening doors… Upon finishing the race, Chris officially claimed his Guinness World Record.

But it's more than a title to him. Chris is just grateful to have been given a platform to raise awareness of the capacities of disabled individuals.

• “Let [people with disabilities] compete to the extent of their ability,” said Chris’s coach Dan. “But let’s not decide what their ability is. What would it be like if we just gave more people like Chris an opportunity to make a dent in this world?”