Chris Nikic, the first ever athlete with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon, is inspiring people around the world with a unique mantra

• Chris Nikic is the first ever athlete with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon.
• His unique mantra of "1% better" is inspiring people all over the world.
• "It's about being an example and giving hope to others like him," his father, Nik, told Insider.

"1% better."

That's the unique mantra of Chris Nikic, the first ever athlete with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon.

"So I started with one press up," Nikic told Insider, detailing how he first began to put his leitmotif into action. "And then, one more, one more, one more.

"And then I kept doing 'One mores' and then I am as far up as 200. And then now, it's 500 push ups, sit ups, and squats."

His father and coach, Nik, added: "You just start with one of something, and then do just do one more, and one more, and one more, and you just keep doing it.

"Until one day, you're doing an Ironman."

Nikic's journey to Ironman glory began three years ago

"We started about a little over three years ago," said Nik. "We were both pretty sedentary, Chris had just come off of three or four surgeries, I had just had two shoulder surgeries.

"And we were looking at each other pathetically on the couch. We had gotten out of shape, overweight, and we looked at each other and said, 'Okay, time to go out and have some fun.'"

Nikic first joined a pilot triathlon programme run by Special Olympics, after which he began competing regularly.

A year-and-a-half later, however, triathlons were no longer quenching Nikic's thirst. A 1000 meter open water swim across Oregon's Lucky Lake helped him decide his next challenge.

"Iron man," he said.

So in November 2020, after another year of intense training (and the occasional game of basketball, his favorite sport), Nikic lined up in Panama City Beach to compete in the Ironman Florida.

He swam 2.4 miles, cycled 112 miles, and ran 26.2 miles in a time of 16 hours 46 minutes and 9 seconds.

"The swim, there were really choppy waves," said Nikic. "But I had to keep going, keep pushing. And then from there I had a tackle the bike, where we had a couple of setbacks."

Nikic crashed his bike and was also bitten up by fire ants during the cycling leg of the race.

"I was in pain everywhere, but I fought my way through," he said.

In crossing the finish line, Nikic became the first ever athlete with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon. For his efforts, he was honored with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance at the ESPY Awards in July.

"It's so well deserved because he has worked so hard over the last year and a half," said his father. "He persevered through so many obstacles and so many challenges.

"He had an opportunity to quit every day, but Chris kept persevering through."

Nikic is not done there, though

Having beaten the Ironman, the 22-year-old now wants to turn his attention to marathon running, starting with the the New York City Marathon in November.

He wants to run the distance in three hours and 21 minutes. People who have Down syndrome have an extra copy, or trisomy, of chromosome 21.

"In the world of Down syndrome, the big number is 321," said Nik. "So we're saying, how about we set a goal for Chris to do a marathon in three hours and 21 minutes."

Nikic will be running in New York in aid of the charity KultureCity with the KCFit team. The organization provides sensory inclusive equipment for those with disabilities such as autism, dementia, and PTSD, as well sensory inclusive training for businesses and organizations.

Running for such a cause and aiming for such an important time keeps in line with Nikic's true lifelong goal - promoting inclusion.

"It's also a way to show others like him that anything is possible," said Nik. "It's about being an example and giving hope to others like him.

"The bigger Chris' goal is, the more he can help others and help them think about their own goals differently and inspire people around the world to be able to pursue their dreams."

Inspiring others like him across the globe is something Nikic is already doing.

"My friends are now doing triathlons," he said, smiling. "Caleb is only 14, he's got Down syndrome and he just did a triathlon.

"Abigail is my age and she's just finished a triathlon. Chad just finished a triathlon. They're all trying to do triathlons now."

Nik added: "We are seeing Chris' impact directly in our hometown, with half a dozen individuals that are now doing triathlons and other things.

"But Chris is also hearing from hundreds and hundreds of people around the world that are being inspired to try things they never thought were possible."

Asked if that makes him proud, Nikic said: "Yeah, because they are all getting 1% better."