We are honored to have the opportunity to feature Chris Nikic and his inspiring story of becoming the first person with Down syndrome to ever complete an Ironman triathlon. That Chris Nikic would one day become an Ironman triathlete was not clear when he was young. Before the age of six months, Chris underwent open heart surgery. He also has hypotonia, or low muscle-tone, a common condition for those born with Down syndrome. As a result, Chris was unable to walk on his own until the age of four. Since our lips, cheeks and tongues are also made of muscle, hypotonia impacted his ability to eat and Chris’ family fed him baby food until he was six years old.

Now 21 years old, Chris has been a Special Olympics athlete since the age of nine. By his early teens, Chris was competing in track, swimming, and basketball. But Chris, who just completed a 112 mile bike ride (in addition to a 2.4 mile swim and a marathon), did not take his first ride on a bike until six years ago when he was 15 years old. It is a remarkable story full of many accomplishments. And Chris has now reached one of his dreams by fulfilling his commitment to getting 1% better every day.

When did you start being involved in sports?

I started when I was little playing basketball in our driveway, trying to be like my big sister who was a basketball star. Then I joined special olympics golf when I was 9, then started track as well.

How do you think practicing a sport have impacted your life?

Sport gave me friends and training for Ironman has made me part of many teams like the triClub, the runners club and now the Special Olympics USA Games Team Florida for triathlon. Sport also taught me many skills and has helped me become healthy. It is also helping me now learn faster.

When and why did you decide to try to be the first person with Down syndrome to finish an Ironman?

Last year after swimming 1k meters, I decided I wanted to be a world champ in something. So we picked Ironman because it has never been done by someone with Down syndrome and that would make me a world champ. After finishing Ironman, Guinness Book of World Records gave me a world record.

Tell us what a week of training for an Ironman looks like.

I train between 3-8 hours each day. During the week it is usually 3-5 hours but on weekends it is between 6-8 hours. I train 13 days in a row and then I take 1 day to rest.

Did you, at any point, felt like you wanted to quit the demanding training schedule you are following? If so, how do you find the motivation to keep going?

No, quitting is not an option because my dreams are important to me. My dreams are always bigger than my pain. When it gets hard and I think about quitting, my dad reminds me of my dreams and my dreams always win. I think if I didn’t have big dreams, I would probably quit.

Now that you have made history as the 1st person with Down syndrome to finish an Ironman, what would you say to somebody with special needs that wants to become an athlete like you?

Start small like I did. Don’t try to do too much too fast. Just do a little every day. Find something fun to do. Get 1% better every day and do it for a long time. Write down a big dream. Something that is more important to you than any obstacle or excuse that might come your way. I write my dreams on a big calendar in my room and I read them every day. That is what keeps me going. The only way you will achieve BIG Goals is if you have even bigger dreams. Don’t be afraid to dream big. Dreaming BIG will help you become the person God wanted you to be.

You can follow Chris on Instagram.