Good News: Ironmen, Black Friday, and a 49-Year-Old Football Player

Here are a few more good news stories making the rounds . . .

1.  A 23-year-old named Chris Nikic just became the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman race.  That’s a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and then a full 26.2-mile marathon.  He finished in 16 hours and 31 minutes, with almost a full half-hour to spare before the 17-hour cutoff.

2.  North Dakota State College of Science has a football team.  And they’re in the news because they’ve got a player this year who’s 49 years old.  His name is Ray Ruschel, and he’s a defensive lineman.

He spent almost two decades in the Army and National Guard before going back to school to study business management.  The last time he played football was his senior year of high school more than 30 years ago.

3.  A woman in Fort Myers lost her engagement ring outside her house and spent two days looking for it.  Then Hurricane Ian hit, so she gave up hope.  But her husband was cleaning up after the storm last week, and found it in a pile of sticks.

4.  The outdoor clothing brand R.E.I. announced they’re never doing Black Friday again.  Instead, they’re giving all 16,000 of their employees a paid day off to enjoy some time outdoors.