When in November 2020 Kris Nikic completed his first Ironman triathlon race and became the first "iron man" with Down syndrome, he fulfilled his dream, but also inspired numerous other competitors, as well as sports organizations and industry.
Just this year, four of his friends, athletes of the Special Olympics, competed for the title of "man of steel".
The organizers of Ironman triathlon races and marathons, thanks to Chris, introduced a category for athletes with intellectual disabilities, and manufacturers of sports equipment, such as Adidas, produce sneakers for them, especially those with Down syndrome.
"His goal is to finish the Ironman race in Hawaii, but also to 'shock' people with his progress year after year," said Chris' father. Nik Nikic in an interview for "Vijesti" three years ago, talking about the future after that seventh of November.
Three years later, he told the editorial office of "Vijesti" how the imagined future looked like.
“Chris has become much more independent since he finished that Ironman race. When I say that, I mean that he has become financially independent and earns money as a speaker, but also thanks to sponsorship deals with Adidas and other companies. In addition, he is more independent and spends time alone and with friends, doing what he needs, whether it's hanging out or training," said Nik Nikić.
Hawaii, New York, London, Berlin, Tokyo
When he finished his first Ironman race three years ago, Chris was 21 years old. He had been preparing for the race for two years. His father previously told "Vijesti" that on that journey they were guided by the concept of "one percent better", which means that you try to be in some period of your life - during a month, a week... a one percent better version of yourself than you were. .
Triathlon includes three sports disciplines - swimming, running and cycling. Chris faced numerous challenges, the biggest one being riding a bicycle, because, as his father said earlier, "someone with Down's syndrome cannot achieve a good balance." Additionally, people with Down syndrome have reduced muscle tone and their joints are extremely flexible.
Chris started learning to ride a bike at the age of 16, in the meantime, by the time he was eighteen, he had four major operations, which meant breaks when it came to training. At that time he gained weight, the doctor recommended that he stop swimming because of ear problems... All the obstacles, however, this young man overcame in 2020. He crossed the finish line and entered the list of those who successfully completed the full Ironman distance: 3,8, 180 kilometers of swimming, 42 kilometers of cycling and marathon running, i.e. XNUMX kilometers.
By crossing the finish line on November 7, 2020, Chris's name was written in history. On the same day, he was entered in the Guinness Book of Records: "Athlete Kris Nikić crossed the finish line on Saturday and became the first person with Down syndrome to finish an Ironman triathlon".
In the meantime, today the 24-year-old finished the race at the Ironman world championship in Hawaii, but also ran several marathons: New York, Boston, Chicago, London, Berlin, Tokyo...
His success in 2020 inspired numerous other athletes of the Special Olympics, a sports association for people with intellectual disabilities in Florida, where the Nikićs live, to participate in Ironman races or marathons themselves.
"This year, four more of Chris' friends who are Special Olympics athletes competed in the full Ironman distance: Adrien Bunn, Merlin Stucman, Kenneth Lefkowitz i Jonathan Sadie. This is important, because the preparation for Ironman itself brings numerous benefits for these young people, in terms of their health, inclusion, skill development, and employment," says Nik.
A new category for competitors with intellectual disabilities
Chris's first Ironman didn't just change his life and that of his fellow athletes, it also changed the sports industry in part.
"Ironman and major world marathons now have a new category for competitors with intellectual disabilities. This initially makes the application for their participation simpler. Before a category can grow in terms of the number of participants, there must be a need for it. Chris was the inspiration to make something like that happen, and that's where the acceptance starts. Since then, more athletes are training and dreaming of participating in major sporting events," says Nik.
For all those young athletes, he adds, by accepting that they can do something, various great opportunities open up.
"Now companies, like Adidas, are interested and produce sneakers for those athletes, especially for those with Down syndrome, who have small, flat feet and otherwise cannot find suitable running shoes. And a lot of things are yet to come", believes the interlocutor of "Vijesti".
Nik was born and grew up in Montenegro, from where he moved with his family as a nine-year-old, first to Austria, then to the United States of America (USA), where he still lives today with his wife Pat and two children. Chris's sister Jacky played basketball for the Montenegrin national team a few years ago.
When he heard that triathlon competitions such as Ocean Lava Montenegro (half Ironman distance), which is held in Kotor, Black Lake Xtrim triathlon (extreme Ironman race) in Žabljak, are being organized, he announced the possible arrival and participation of Kris.
"We didn't know these events existed, because we were only dealing with Ironman races, but possibly in 2024... I'm from Montenegro and I have many family members there, so it would be incredible to participate," said Nik Nikić.
The key to realizing your full potential
Every human being wants to realize their full potential, and in that, says Nik, their environment is the most important.
"The difference is between integration and segregation. The most important factor in all people achieving their full potential is who they associate with. If you separate people with disabilities from the general population, they will not be able to achieve their full potential, because they are not inspired by others, those who try harder. Integration is key to achieving full potential," says Nik.
"Runner 321 every race"
As part of a campaign that celebrates the first sponsored athlete with Down syndrome, Adidas reserved race number 321 for Chris for the Boston Marathon last year.
The number was chosen symbolically, because people with Down's syndrome have three chromosomes on the 21st pair of chromosomes, instead of two. For the same reason, World Down Syndrome Day is celebrated on March 21 (3/21).
Adidas continued with the adidasrunner321.com campaign after the Boston Marathon. After Chris, who ran last year, the number 321 this year at the Boston Marathon was worn by Kayleigh Williamson.
This year, Chris wore number 321 at the Chicago Marathon...
"It's time to see the 321 runner at every race," says adidasrunner321.com.
Through the same page, the company invites marathon organizers to open applications for all neurodivergent athletes.
“The first step is to reserve the number 321 for the contestants who have qualified. If you support more than one contestant, we recommend that you assign them numbers in order - 1321, 2321, 3321...", it says on that page, with advice to the organizers to remove financial barriers for the participation of neurodivergent contestants at the same time.
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