Anything is Possible- the Chris Nikic Story
About 2 weeks ago, I caught the last 20 minutes of a special television show on NBC Sports. It featured Chris Nikic, a young man with Down Syndrome, who competed in the Ironman Triathlon with his two guides in Tampa, Florida. Apparently, this was the final night in a series about him and this competition.
First, some details. An Ironman triathlon is composed of three grueling segments; a 2.4-mile swim in open water, a 112-mile bike ride, then, a 26.2 mile run to the finish.
I caught up with the story just as Chris and his two guides came out of the water from the swim. The water looked rough, and it wasn’t because of all the swimmers coming out, either. Open water involves waves, current, and in a triathlon, a whole lot of people swimming near you!
Chris, his Dad, and the 2nd guide changed into their biking gear and pedaled off. Then, trouble hit. During a water break, Chris stopped on the side of the course, only to literally step on a fire-ant mound. They swarmed up his foot and ankle, stinging and biting him multiple times. I remember the time I did the same thing one summer. The bites were painful, and your leg/foot and ankle swell with their venom. I mean, it HURTS! They poured bottled water on his leg/foot/ankle to brush them off, and team Chris forged ahead. A little while later, as Chris was coming to another break stop his wheel slipped, causing him to fall, gashing his knee. With blood dripping down his leg, they keep on riding.
After the long bike ride comes the 26.2-mile marathon run. On a painful, swollen foot/ankle with a gashed knee, no less. This is where I learned the team had set a 17 hour target time goal to finish the full marathon. That’s from around 6 am to 11 pm. Chris was discouraged, and several times he said it was too hard. His dad did something amazing. He said, “Let’s try this- run 10 orange cones and walk the next two. Run 10, walk 2 “ One of my favorite clips was a few minutes later when they caught his dad saying, “You know, we are on a better pace doing it this way than we were in the beginning!”
Finally- it's pitch black outside. I found myself wondering, where are you with your time goal” The camera is following Chris, and just up ahead, at the finish archway, you can see the timer. It reads, roughly, 16:45. The announcer does a fantastic job calling Chris in for his “win” and dazed, he looks around. Everyone hugs. They did it! They completed the triathlon AND they beat their time goal!
Just before I turned it off, a reporter asked Chris what he would say to someone if they told him something was too hard for him. He gave a weary smile, and said, “I’d tell them I could do it anyway!” By the way, Chris was wearing a t-shirt that read, “1%.” I am guessing that means what I think it means. Only one percent of the people ever complete a triathlon.
I am in awe of anyone who even tries a triathlon, much less finishes it. Forget about winning a medal. The endurance and inner drive this takes are amazing. And then, to complete it after sustaining two painful injuries. Hat’s off.
I know college can be like a marathon. Your freshman year feels like you are swimming in choppy water. The next year you are riding fine until you step on some fire ants. By your junior year, you are deep into advanced courses in your Major, and you gash your knee. And then the final run. Your senior year sometimes seems like a “run 10-walk 2 “ orange cone program. If you plan your studies well, you might be among the 40% who graduate in 4 years.
Chris Nikic is special. It is equally clear he had positive, present, and supportive helpers to keep him motivated, pour water on his wounds, and encourage him to the finish line.
We tend to forget that, parents. Somehow when we drop them off, we are not sure how much they REALLY need us. Let them know these three things:
1) You believe in them and their plans. Remember, most are not adults yet. College is a foreign planet they’ve never visited. And, it is a lot different than when we attended.
2) You will listen if things get rough. Sometimes they need you to back the emotional dump truck up and open the back gate. Once in a while, they need guidance or a light push. Most of the time, a positive ear that affirms and loves on them a bit is just the tonic.
3) If they need to change direction, you can handle that, too. Unexpectedly, I found myself having to do just that. Oh, I got my undergrad degree with no problem. At the end of my first semester in grad school, I decided I needed to quit. It wasn’t right for me. And yes, it destroyed my original career dream of becoming a college professor. My folks handled it pretty well allowing me to come home. After a brief downtime, I started looking for a job. Thankfully, I found my lifetime career company and started 4 months later.
Chris is a triathlete because he did the work, but had the support of those who believed in him. If it takes a village to raise kids, remember to have the village available during college, too. BTW, most graduates need the village AFTER college as the transition to the work world is rarely a straight line.
Very few of us can make it without a village of support. To me, a village is not a bunch of people. It is a small group of the right people who love us, support us, and yes, even call us out when needed. Just a few are needed for that village, but each one makes the difference.
Let them know the village still cares, but remind them to “do the work.”
Next week, let’s outline a framework of 5 questions about going to college using a classic management thinking process. If you are the parent of a waffle-er- you know, maybe they will go or maybe they won’t, you want to try these questions on them .It could reveal their true level of commitment!
Until Next Time,
All my best,
Bonnie Burkett
