At the age of 21, Chris Nikic became the first person with Down syndrome to complete the Ironman triathlon, which consisted of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run. The very thought would be enough     1    (put) off those in the greatest physical condition. However, by completing    2    challenge in 14 minutes under the official cut-off time, this sporting hero set a Guinness World Record.

This    3    (impress) accomplishment was made possible thanks to the loving guidance of Nikic’s father, Nik. While     4    (raise) Nikic, Nik was worried about his son’s inactive lifestyle, thus giving him the task of becoming 1%     5    (fit) every day. And the first step    6     (achieve) with a single push-up.

Now, three years later, Nikic has gathered much    7    (strong) and determination to really push his body to the limits. Considering those with Down syndrome have to fight varying physical and learning disabilities, Nikic’s accomplishment is another example of    8    people with this condition overcome barriers and achieve success. The key for him is resilience.

Nikic isn’t stopping there. He has set new goals for 2021, including the plan to participate    9    the special Olympics in Orlando, Florida in 2022. Undoubtedly, with his family, friends and followers by his side, Nikic     10    (continue) to set new records.

The idea of running long distances can be discouraging at first.     1    , with a lot of patience and a baby-step approach, you can steadily develop a solid pace     2     will last for longer and longer stretches, even while you chat with your running partner!

Whether you are only beginning to run or have already made a practice of it, design a training schedule     3     (base) on your current abilities. Forget “no pains, no gains.” Resist the urge     4     (push) yourself too hard or too fast. Keep your runs sensible and achievable, especially in the beginning. Running is an exercise with a risk of     5     (injure), especially for beginners. The tortoise-wins-the-race manner will decrease your chance of hurting     6     (you). If you have little or no miles under your belt, shift between running and     7     (walk) in the beginning. Jog for one minute, and then walk for four. Repeat three more times for a total workout of 20     8     (minute). As the one-minute jogging intervals (间歇) become easier from one workout to the next, double them     9     two minutes each and decrease the walking intervals to three. Continue to increase the jogging and decrease the walking over time until you are     10     (comfortable) running for a total 20-minute stretch.