A 21-year-old man became the first person with Down syndrome to complete Ironman Triathlon races

Special Olympics athlete Chris Nikitch crossed the finish line on Saturday to become the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman triathlon.

Guiness World Records recognized Nikic’s achievement after he finished a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26.2 marathons at the Ironman Florida competition in Panama City Beach.

“It’s time to set a new and bigger goal for 2021,” Nikitch said in a post on Instagram.

Nikic completed the race in 16 hours 46 minutes and 9 seconds – 14 minutes less than the 17-hour stoppage time.

Special Olympics said in a statement that Nikic fell from his bike and was attacked by ants at a feeding station, but continued to finish the competition.

Ironman Triathlon said in Post to Twitter.

The organization documented the historical race with A. A series of updates on social media On the day of the competition. The last two miles of Nikitch’s race were streamed live on the Iron Man’s Facebook page.

Nikitch and his father Nick developed a “1 percent better challenge” to stay motivated during training. The idea is to boost awareness of Down syndrome while achieving a 1% improvement each day, according to the Nikic website.

Nick Nikitch said: “For Chris, this race was more than just a finish line and a celebration of victory.” Ironman has served as a platform for him to get one step closer to his goal of living a life of inclusion and leadership.

Nikitch’s achievement earned him messages of congratulations from such celebrities as fabulous tennis Billie Jean King And runner Kara Gutcher, And people all over the world, including 33,000 new followers on social media, according to Nikic.

Following his record achievement, Nikitch will focus on competing in the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games and continuing to raise money for Special Olympics, Down Syndrome and RODS (racing for orphans with Down syndrome) through his platform.

He wrote to Instagram: “I achieved my goal and now I want to help others like me.”

This content is reposted with permission from CNN.