Florida man first with Down’s syndrome to compete in Ironman triathlon

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) - A Florida man is hoping to become the first with Down’s syndrome to compete in and complete an Ironman triathlon.

WCTV had a chance to meet Chris Nikic over Zoom Thursday afternoon.

“You better watch out because I’m going to beat you,” Nikic said. “At the start, I’m going to explode, so don’t count me out.”

Nikic, a Special Olympics athlete, has been training for years and is planning to compete in Panama City’s Ironman competition on November 7.

Nikic lives and trains in Maitland.

He’s already become the first person with Down’s syndrome to complete a half-distance triathlon and now he’s hoping to become the first with Down’s syndrome to complete a full distance triathlon, which includes a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and a 26.2-mile run.

Copyright 2020 WCTV. All rights reserved.