Chris Nikic is an American amateur sports champion. Nikic grew up in Florida, and when he was five months old he underwent open-heart surgery and was unable to walk well until the age of four nor eat solid food until the age of five.
Chris trained 4-8 hours a day for about a year. He started training in 2017 and his goal was to improve his performance by 1% every day. In 2020, at age 21, Chris became the first person with Down syndrome to finish a triathlon (a triathlon is like a marathon, beginning with swimming, cycling, and ending with running). For this achievement, Chris received Jimmy V award for perseverance as part of the 2021 ESPY Awards. In addition, he won the ESPY Award for Best Athlete with a Disability in Men’s Sports.

”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
Chris is also training for the 2022 USA Special Olympics.
Chris’ father hopes that his son will be an inspiration to parents of other children with Down syndrome when they see what his son has achieved. “We want them to realize earlier that their child is a blessing, and they can live an amazing life,” he told TODAY.

“To Chris, this race was more than just a finish line and celebration of victory,” his father told the BBC. “Ironman has served as his platform to become one step closer to his goal of living a life of inclusion, normalcy, and leadership. It’s about being an example to other kids and families that face similar barriers, proving no dream or goal is too high… If Chris can do an Ironman, he can do anything.”