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

Special Olympic athlete Chris Nick crossed the finish line on Saturday and became the first person to complete the Ironman Triathlon with Down Syndrome.

Guinness World Records Ironman at the Panama City Beach recognized Nicky’s record after completing a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2 marathon race.

“Iron man. The goal can be set and achieved,” Nick said Post on Instagram. “2021 is the time to set new and bigger goals.”

Nick finished the race in 16 hours 46 minutes 9 seconds – 14 minutes under the 17 hour cut time.

Nick fell off his bike and was attacked by ants at a nutrition stop, but he pushed to finish the race, The Special Olympics said in a statement.

“We are not inspired, your achievement is a defining moment in Ironman history, it will never be taken away from you,” said an Ironman triathlon organization. Post on Twitter.

This organization documented the historical race A series of updates for social media On the day of the match. The final two miles of Nikki’s run Broadcast live on Ironman’s Facebook page.

Nick and his father Nick “1 percent better challengeBe motivated during training. The idea is to promote Down Syndrome awareness while achieving a 1% improvement each day, according to Nikkei’s website.

“For Chris, this race is not just a finish line and a celebration of victory,” Nick Nick said. “Ironman has served as a platform to move one step closer to his goal of living a content and leadership life.”

Nicky’s achievement received congratulatory messages from celebrities such as Dennis the Great Billy Jean King And runner Kara Couture, And people around the world, including 33,000 new followers on social media, according to Nick.

Following in his footsteps, Nick will continue to focus on competing in the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games Raise money for Special Olympics, Down Syndrome and RODS (Racing for orphans with Down syndrome) through his site.

“I have reached my goal and now I want to help others like me,” he wrote on Instagram.

This content has been republished with permission CNN.