{"id":224525,"date":"2020-06-02T10:02:26","date_gmt":"2020-06-02T15:02:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.liveaction.org\/news\/?p=224525"},"modified":"2020-06-02T08:46:01","modified_gmt":"2020-06-02T13:46:01","slug":"special-olympian-down-syndrome-ironman","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/archive.liveaction.org\/news\/special-olympian-down-syndrome-ironman\/","title":{"rendered":"Special Olympian strives to be first person with Down syndrome to complete Ironman"},"content":{"rendered":"
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An Ironman triathlon is considered one of the most difficult athletic events in the world. Consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a 26.2 marathon-length run — in that order, and all with mandatory cut-off times — there’s no doubting the difficulties athletes must fight through in order to finish. Numerous qualifying events are held around the world in order to compete for the Ironman World Championship, held every year in Hawaii. But for one hopeful, just finishing would be a major honor.<\/p>\n

Chris Nikic is under no illusions about how hard it will be for him to complete an Ironman triathlon. If he does it later this year, he will be the first person with Down syndrome ever to finish. Nikic, who lives in Orlando, Florida, regularly runs triathlons. While he loves to swim, bike, and run, it’s crossing the finish line that’s his favorite part — especially the hugs waiting for him there from family members and spectators alike. \u201cI like to be around people and encourage them,\u201d he told Emily Randolph for Team USA<\/a>, adding, “You can do things you never thought possible.”<\/p>\n

But being an athlete has not come easily for him. Nikic had to undergo open-heart surgery when he was a baby and had to use a walker when he was three. Worse than that was the ableism he’s faced, with some people calling him “stupid,” or treating him like he was less capable than others. “Having [Down syndrome] means I have to work harder than everyone else,” Nikic said in an interview for USA Today<\/a>. “I’ve learned to work harder in [life], and that’s helped me be ready for Ironman.”<\/p>\n