Participating in an Ironman is beyond the reach of the first comer. This is the ultimate challenge because it means leaving for half a dozen hours of intense effort. To compete in an Ironman is to launch out for 3.8 km of swimming before swallowing 180 km by bike - the equivalent of a stage in the Tour de France - and as dessert, to run a long marathon of 42,195 km. All of this, of course.
Trisomy 21 is a congenital chromosomal abnormality, the symptoms of which are notably characterized by a delay in psychomotor development. For people with this handicap - there are between 50 and 70,000 in France - swimming, running and pedaling is far from simple.
But that doesn't scare Chris Nikic. The young American of 20 years has Down syndrome (Editor's note: the other name for Down's syndrome) and he has put in mind this crazy challenge: to complete, before the end of the year, an Ironman. He programmed this feat in November in Panama City Beach in Florida. No person with Down's syndrome has done this before: “Having Down's syndrome has forced me to work harder than everyone else to do the same thing. I had to put more effort into everything in life. All of this helped me a lot to consider an Ironman, ”said the apprentice champion, who lives in Florida.
A person with Down's syndrome has difficulty speaking, writing, counting or concentrating. She is also often affected by cardiac or renal pathologies at birth. Chris Nikic had heart surgery at the age of 5 months.
He had to convince his father first
The apprentice triathlete drew strength from his journey. He has been integrated since he was 9 years old in the "Special Olympics" program which organizes competitions made for people with mental disabilities. He already dabbled in basketball and golf before discovering triathlon: "I like all sporting events," he says on the program website. More than the events themselves, I love the social interactions they provide: being with friends and dancing when it's all over. "
To achieve his goals and fulfill his dream, Chris Nikic trains 4 hours a day. Before getting involved in this champion training, he had to convince a first person: his father who doubted his abilities: "My daughter is herself a gifted athlete and I considered her as such while I was treating Chris like someone different, "he told USA Today.
"I didn't give him the same chance as his sister because I wanted to protect him. But two years ago I started treating him like a gifted person. In turn. Chris brings the sun into a room. The same is often said of people with Down's syndrome.
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Since then, father and son have been training together for the same goal: “I don't use my condition as an excuse. Instead, I work harder. My father said to me: Never doubt your dreams, Chris . I no longer doubt it now, "insists the boy who also plans to write a book with the evocative title" 1% Better ", (Editor's note: 1% better) to explain that every day, you have to be 1% better than the day before . This is the challenge of all people with Down's syndrome. But not only theirs.
