Chris Nikic
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | American |
| Born | October 7, 1999 |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Triathlon |
Chris Nikic (born October 6, 1999) is an American amateur triathlete. In 2020, at age 21, he became the first person with Down syndrome to finish an Ironman triathlon.[1][2] For this accomplishment, Nikic was awarded the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance as part of the 2021 ESPY Awards. Additionally, he won the ESPY for Best Athlete with a Disability in Men's Sports.[3]
Ironman Triathlon
[edit]Training
[edit]Nikic trained with Dan Grieb, who has completed 16 Ironman races, for four to eight hours each day for around one year. He began exercising in 2017 with a single pushup and aimed to improve his performance 1% each day.[2][4][5]
''I have to work hard and give my best every day. If I do an Ironman and become a pro-speaker I will have a chance to get my dream.'' Chris Nikic
Nikic is also training for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games.[6][7]
2020 Ironman Florida
[edit]Nikic completed the Ironman Florida triathlon in 16 hours 46 minutes 9 seconds, swimming 2.4-mile (3.86 km), cycling 112-mile (180.25 km), and then running a marathon 26.22-mile (42.20 km). This earned him recognition from Guinness World Records.[1][8][9][10] His time was 14 minutes faster than the cut-off time for qualification.
"We don't make any accommodations for anyone around the core elements of racing." --Andrew Messick, CEO of Ironman Group.
2022 Ironman Hawaii
[edit]Nikic bested his Florida Ironman time two years later in the 2022 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, with a time of 16 hours, 31 minutes.[11] In announcing Nikic's record-breaking feat of being the only person with Down syndrome to complete two IRONMAN competitions, the Special Olympics announced the triathlete's designation as a Special Olympics Champion Ambassador, "for the impact he’s made on the organization."[11]
Early life
[edit]Nikic grew up in Florida. He had open-heart surgery at five months old, and was not able to walk well until four years old or eat solid food until age five.[9][5]
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Nikic becomes first person with Down's syndrome to finish Ironman". BBC Sport. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ a b West, Jenna. "Chris Nikic Is First Person With Down Syndrome to Complete Ironman". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ "2021 ESPY Award Winners". ESPN.com. July 10, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2021.
- ^ KABC (November 9, 2020). "Florida man is 1st person with Down syndrome to finish Ironman triathlon". ABC7 San Francisco. Retrieved November 13, 2020.
- ^ a b "Chris Nikic is About to Make Ironman History". SI.com. November 5, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ Lane, Barnaby. "A 21-year-old man made history as the first ever athlete with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon". Insider. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ Kelsie Smith (November 10, 2020). "A 21-year-old man has made history as the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon". CNN. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ "Chris Nikic finishes ironman". news.yahoo.com. November 9, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ a b McCoy, Jenny (October 8, 2020). "Chris Nikic Has Become the First Ironman Finisher With Down Syndrome". Runner's World. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ "Florida athlete strives to be the first person with down syndrome to complete an ironman". WFTS. October 29, 2020. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ a b "Chris Nikic Completes 2022 IRONMAN World Championships in Kona, Hawaii". Special Olympics. October 7, 2022. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
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