Saturday, November 7, 2020, was a day of several firsts, providing new visions of what is possible for groups that have for too long been burdened by low expectations.
Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris
The 2020 election was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, but the results have not been finalized even at the date of this writing, over a week later. However, by that Saturday, those who make election calls felt confident to call Pennsylvania. Winning the Keystone State gave Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris enough electoral votes to be declared the presidential election winners. That evening, President-Elect Biden and Vice President-Elect Harris delivered their acceptance speeches.
As soon as Pennsylvania was called for the Biden-Harris ticket, social media exploded with celebrations for Vice President-Elect Harris breaking several glass ceilings:
- First woman to be elected Vice President;
- First woman of color to be Second-in-Command;
- Highest-elected Asian American in history.
Across several platforms, many friends posted the following meme:
(Being a Kentuckian, I, at first, thought this was a dig at the stereotype that we go barefoot mostly, and, then, I was like, “Ah, right.”).
Prior to the election, 60 Minutes interviewed Candidate Harris. In response to a question on the effect she would have if elected, she spoke of how she would show others what can be possible for a woman and a person with a Jamaican father and an Indian mother.
On that same Saturday, just hours later, another first was achieved.
Ironman Athlete Chris Nikic
Saturday morning, Chris Nikic began what would be a very long day.
Suited up, he jumped into the Gulf of Mexico to start a 2.4 mile swim, the first leg of the Ironman triathlon held in Panama City, Florida. Successfully finishing that, Nikic then mounted his bike to pedal 112 miles. On the bike ride, he took a nasty spill, scraping up his right knee pretty badly. But, Nikic pushed on, finishing the bike-leg. And, then, he started the final leg: running a marathon!
To be considered an official “Ironman”, most courses set a 17-hour time limit. Nikic came in just under the wire at 16 hours and 46 minutes.
As he crossed the finish line, the announcer declared he was the first athlete with Down syndrome to become an Ironman. Nikic had just swam, biked, and run himself into the Guinness Book of World Records.
For the second time that Saturday, my social media blew up. Friends had been watching Nikic’s progress on the live-stream for the event. A friend of mine from Jacksonville who I met years ago at a Down Syndrome Affiliates in Action conference was at the event with her son, who also happens to have Down syndrome, to cheer Nikic on at each leg.
Just the sheer mileage should be enough to inform how daunting a challenge an Ironman is. I had a fuller appreciation of Nikic’s accomplishment having cheered on my sister-in-law several years ago when she completed the Ironman in Louisville, Kentucky. Shelly was an all-state gymnast. She is an incredible athlete. She trained for months. And, even then, the Ironman almost got the best of her, as it does with so many who start one.
So, to see someone with a genetic condition that has the associated phenotype of hypotonia–low muscle tone– swim, and bike, and run for miles and miles, all on the same day–well, it’s just incredible.
But Nikic did it.
When interviewed by the Today show, he explained he did it to show that if he can do it, others can, too.
Another vision of a possibility too many pre-judge as being unimaginable.
Humble Predictions
I recall reading guidance from either a professional medical organization or by published research that cautioned doctors to be humble with their predictions when delivering a pre- or post-natal diagnosis. Too often this guidance is honored more in the breach than in compliance.
I shared Nikic’s accomplishment on Facebook with this caption:
Unfortunately, mothers are still told these prejudicial (and ill-informed) predictions accompanying a pre- or post-natal diagnosis.
Equally, too often people will have lower expectations for someone because she is a woman, or a person of color, or an immigrant.
Saturday, however, provided refutations of these prejudices and offered everyone new visions of what can be possible. For women, for people of color, for immigrants, and for people with Down syndrome.
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