VIDEO: 20 Year Old Becomes First Person With Down Syndrome To Complete An IRONMAN

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Chris Nikic is a 20 year old athlete from Florida who last night proved to the world that anything is possible. He became the first person with down syndrome to complete an IRONMAN triathlon race.

An IRONMAN race is a grueling test of endurance and mental strength, it begins with a 2.4 mile swim, then straight into a 112 mile bike ride before then going on to complete a 26.2 mile run.

Yes you read that correct, once you have completed your long distance swim and bike ride, you then have to complete a full marathon, all in under 17 hours or your finish will not count.

This is an extraordinary accomplishment for any human being and Chris has proved that down syndrome people are just as if not more extraordinary.

His story captivated the world of triathlon yesterday as IRONMAN’s social media account followed his race with updates across their platforms every 30 minute for over 16 hours.

He came out of his swim with a great time of 1:55 before heading into the first transition where he would get ready to hop on his bike.

He kept an incredibly positive attitude through the bike as they checked in with him at the 56 mile marker.

He had 2 incidents while on his 112 mile bike ride as he was bitten by fire ants while stopping for a nutrition break and he also had a fall off of his bike which led to some cuts and bleeding on his legs. Chris was not going to let a little blood and pain stop him from making history as he soldiered on to begin his marathon with 6.5 hours left before cut off.

On his run, the locals were with him every step of the way as they ran along side him for as long as they could to show support.

Chris crossed the finish line in a time of 16 hours and 46 minutes. A massive achievement for him and people with down syndrome across the globe.

Never forget that anything is possible.