23-year-old Chris Nikic became the first athlete with Down Syndrome to complete the Ironman World Championship. Nikic finished the triathlon with the help of his volunteer guide, Dan Grieb, who did the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile run by Nikic’s side. The race took place in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, where temperatures soared above 90 degrees with 85% humidity. The duo crossed the finish line with a time of 16 hours, 31 minutes, and 27 seconds. Nikic immediately jumped into Grieb’s arms upon finishing as they were met with an emotional uproar from the crowd. Nikic used the “1% better” mentality to get through training and the race— every day he just has to be 1% better than he was yesterday.
Image via Chris Nikic’s Instagram
Read other stories from the 10/17/22 newsletter:
Comments