Alii Drive in Kailua-Kona resembles a catwalk during Ironman Hawaii race week. The best triathletes are guests on the Pacific island and run up and down the pier in top form. You won’t see that in such a concentrated form at any other triathlon venue. Nevertheless, there are some athletes who do not conform to the typical cliché of the supposed model athlete and face different challenges in training and competition than others.
Chris Nikic
The name Chris Nikic is now well known to many in the triathlon scene. The American is the first person with Down syndrome to finish a long distance. He succeeded at the Ironman Florida 2020, where he finished following 16:46 hours. The 23-year-old’s motto is: “Get one percent better every day.” Nikic doesn’t let difficulties in training and competition get him down. Since he has problems with his sense of balance, a triathlon bike is out of the question for him. He needs straight handlebars and also has to take regular breaks to drink. However, frequent falls cannot be prevented in this way, and the windy conditions on the Queen K further aggravate the situation. For Chris Nikic, Ironman Hawaii isn’t regarding a specific finish time, placement, or daylight finish, it’s regarding reaching the finish line – before or following the official cut-off.
Lauren Parker
Australian Lauren Parker can already look back on a very successful career as a triathlete. In 2015, the 32-year-old finished second in her age group at the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. Finally, in April 2017, there was an incident that would change everything. During preparation for Ironman Australia, a week before the race, Parker had a cycling accident in which she crashed into a guard rail at 45 kilometers per hour. She suffered multiple broken ribs, fractures in her shoulder blade, back and pelvis, and a punctured lung. Since then she has been a paratriathlete on a handbike and came third in this category at the Ironman World Championships. Parker now wants to build on this result.
Sam Holness
At first glance, the British Sam Holness doesn’t show that he is different from his competitors. He is autistic and describes this special feature as his “superpower”. Due to his autism, the 29-year-old is able to focus extremely and to stick to one thing – the best prerequisites for a competition like the Ironman Hawaii. Holness already took part in the 70.3 World Championships in St. George (Utah) in 2021, and in the summer of 2022 he crossed the finish line at the Römer in Frankfurt. “I hope my story will help inspire other people from diverse and neurodiverse backgrounds to get involved in triathlon and endurance sports,” says Sam Holness.
Meriam Amara
Mériam Amara is the first blind athlete from her native France to compete in the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. She was born visually impaired due to a degenerative retinal disease before finally losing all of her vision at the age of 25. Ten years later, she started triathlon and since then has regularly taken part in competitions with a guide. When swimming and running, the 41-year-old and her guide are connected with a rope, on the bike course they go on a tandem. Amara is one of eleven athletes taking part in this year’s World Championships in the PC (Physically Challenged) category.