About
AboutMe
Lead By Example
I am a typical person with Down Syndrome and all the associated disabilities, except one. I focus on my God-given abilities.
My journey started January 2018 as an 18 year old who was out of shape, overweight with no future after High School.
I started exercising and focusing on getting 1% Better every day and over the last six years I have achieved some of the following:
- 1st & ONLY person in the world with Down Syndrome to complete an Ironman®
- World Championship Hawaii Ironman® Finisher
- Guinness Book Record Holder
- Special Olympics, Ironman and Laureus Global Ambassador
- NBC Documentary, ESPN Special Edition and Special Olympics award-winning documentary
- 2X ESPY Award Winner (Jimmy V for Perseverance & Male Athlete with a disability)
- Laureus Global Sporting Moment of the Year
- Kulture City Inclusion Person of the Year
- PRWeek Most Purposeful Person Under 30
- Boston, NYC, Tokyo, Berlin, Chicago, and London Marathon Finisher
- Florida Sports Hall of Fame inductee, class of 2022
- Inspired a new category for athletes with disabilities with Ironman and Major marathons
- Institute for Sports and Social Justice – Barrier Breaker Award
- Author Book: 1% Better – Reaching My Full Potential and How You Can Too
- Inspired and trained 6 other Special Olympics to complete an Ironman in 2023
- Inspirational Speaker – YTD over 300 speeches
What wouldn’t you do if you knew you could not fail?
My story will inspire you to BELIEVE you can achieve more with a simple PLAN I follow to build a 1% Better HABIT.
My story will inspire you to BELIEVE you can achieve more with a simple PLAN I follow to build a 1% Better HABIT.
If I can achieve so much with so little so fast, IMAGINE what YOU can do?
I am the ideal Keynote speaker to close a conference. My speech is inspirational, educational, fun and actionable.
Share my Message
InspireOthers
My mission is to honor God by being the best me I can be so I can be an example to others. I want to change the perceptions and raise expectations for others like me so we can reach our God given potential. Believe and Achieve by Getting “1% Better“.
1st Olympic Triathlon Sarasota 01/05/20 (4:06)
1% BetterChallenge
1. Down Syndrome Awareness
I want to raise awareness for Down Syndrome
2. Accept the "1% Better" Challenge
Just for 30-days, do what I’ve been doing for 2 years in my journey to IRONMAN.
&
Help someone with Special Needs to do the same
3. Next Steps
1. Buy a T-Shirt for you and the person you want to sponsor
2. Set a 30-day goal on what you want to achieve
3. Post your progress with your partner on social media to raise awareness
Success is a HABITGet 1% Better Every Day
Example
Aug 2019 I did a Sprint (13 miles) in 1:41, finished last of all Special Olympics athletes
Jan I did an Olympic (32 miles) in 4:25
May I did a 70.3 Half Ironman in 8:25
Nov I did an Ironman 140 in 16:46
1% Better is a strategyfor BREAKTHROUGH results
1. Heath (Body)
If you start walking 100 steps and get 1% Better for 1 year, you will be walking 3,700 steps.
If you start with 1,000 steps, in 1 year you will be walking a Marathon.
Imagine the impact of that on your health and well being?
2. Health (Mind)
Exercising your body while exercising your mind increases your intellectual capacity.
It also releases “happy drugs” that make you HAPPY.
Imagine the impact of being a little smarter and happier?
3. Friends (Soul)
If you do it with a friend, you feed the craving we all have. Social connections.
You share a bond with someone that helps you both.
Join a local club and start an “Inclusion Revolution“
4. Focus on the Positive
5. Help Someone ELSE
There is a large community of people with special needs. Reach out and touch someone. Make a positive difference in someone else’s life and they will do the same for you.
6. Pass it on
Promote the message of “Getting 1% Better”; Being Positive; Helping someone else;
Let’s make the world a better place for ourselves and others.
It's ALL aboutINClUSION
Inclusion
New Friends
Part of a Team
DownSyndrome
What is Down Syndrome?
In every cell in the human body there is a nucleus, where genetic material is stored in genes. Genes carry the codes responsible for all of our inherited traits and are grouped along rod-like structures called chromosomes. Typically, the nucleus of each cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes, half of which are inherited from each parent. Down syndrome occurs when an individual has a full or partial extra copy of chromosome 21.
This additional genetic material alters the course of development and causes the characteristics associated with Down syndrome. A few of the common physical traits of Down syndrome are low muscle tone, small stature, an upward slant to the eyes, and a single deep crease across the center of the palm – although each person with Down syndrome is a unique individual and may possess these characteristics to different degrees, or not at all.
To Learn More
Visit the National Down Syndrome Society
3 Years Old
At the age of three, because of my low muscle tone, I needed a walker to walk. I started with a big disadvantage...
Back Side
My sister could walk when she was 9-months.
The biggest problem is people think a delay means we can't do it.
NO, a delay is just a delay, it is not permanent. It just means we have to work harder and that's OK.
My Sister and Me
When my sister was 12, she set a HS record for discuss throw. She has high muscle tone that develops quickly.
Not me. By 18, I was 180 pounds, overweight and out of shape. If I kept doing what I was doing, today I might be over 200 pounds, sitting on the couch watching video games blaming my low muscle tone. No, NOT ME.
I don't do excuses and my coaches won't take them.
NOW: 18 months later
I decided to do a Jr. Triathlon. Then I focused on getting 1% Better every day. Then I did a Sprint triathlon in 148 minutes. Then 100 minutes. Then an Olympic in 4 hours. Then Half Ironman in 8:25.
Yes, I know I can't compete with an elite athlete BUT through hard work, I can get strong enough to complete an Ironman. We must changing our thinking from I can't to I can BUT I must work harder to BREAK through my low muscle tone.