Chris Nikic is the first person with Down Syndrome to finish an Ironman triathlon, making history in 2020 as a 21-year-old. Chris had open heart surgery when he was 5 months old, he couldn’t walk until he was 4 or eat solid foods until he was 5, and he had four major ear operations when he was 17. Chris personifies resilience, and he was recognized at the 2021 ESPYS with the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance. He plans on publishing a book, and he would be an ideal speaker to close a conference. His speech is inspiring, heart-warming, and actionable.
About Chris's Speech:
Part 1 – The Inspiration:
Chris delivers a 30-minute inspiring and compelling story of how he worked in pursuit of his dreams by achieving the goal of becoming the 1st person with Down Syndrome to do a 140.6 IRONMAN® and the 1st to do the SIX world marathon majors and earn the Abbot Six Stars.
Chris shares the underlying principles of his success in achieving his full potential using the 1% Better Success Habit. The speech takes you through a journey that touches on:
- Overcoming personal, physical, intellectual, and external obstacles amplified by the pandemic.
- How using the 1% Better strategy and developing a success habit helped him achieve the impossible.
- An overview of the approach that helped Chris build a no quit grit and success mindset.
- Finishing with the conclusion that helped him realize most of his dreams.
Chris’s speech is powerful because of the way he makes you feel. When he’s done, you will know you can quickly achieve much more in your life.
PART 2 – The System:
Chris's dad, Nik, explains the underlying principles of success, coaching and execution necessary to achieve your full potential using the 1% Better System that he developed in his consulting firm and later modified and simplified for Chris.
Achieving the impossible doesn’t happen by accident. It happens following a process and a system. Nik explains the system he designed that was used by Chris to achieve his full potential and can be used by anyone with or without an intellectual disability to achieve their full potential.
Nik describes the framework and foundation of the system that anyone can follow to achieve their full potential.
