A couple from Puerto Rico living with Down syndrome continues to defy expectations with their ever-growing list of accomplishments.
Chris González and model Sofía Jirau are showing the world how to live without limits despite growing up with Down syndrome. Both have become trailblazers in their respective fields, and they’re just getting started.
Chris and Sofía are currently promoting a campaign called Sin Límites, which translates to “without limits” in English. The initiative aims to increase Down syndrome awareness and show what people with the condition can achieve.
Aside from launching Sin Límites, Sofía made history earlier this year as the first Victoria’s Secret model with Down syndrome. In 2020, she ruled the runway at the New York Fashion Week.
The young businesswoman has signed a deal with leading cosmetics company L’Oreal and is working on launching her own fashion line with the assistance of her mother.
Having acquired 617,000 followers on Instagram, Sofía is also gearing up to become a social media influencer.
Sofía, who admits to loving the camera, told CBS Mornings Lead National Correspondent David Begnaud that she gets recognized in public. Sometimes, people would stop her on the street and ask if they could take a picture with her.
As a model, Sofía works hard to keep in tip-top shape. She goes to the gym five days a week and spends about an hour working out each day.
Sofía’s mother couldn’t be prouder of her daughter, whom she describes as “a happy person” who “brings joy to everyone.”
Her boyfriend, Chris, is an achiever as well. In 2014, he became the first person with Down syndrome in Puerto Rico to get a driver’s license, said his parents.
Chris is also a trained chef, barista, and retail entrepreneur. He has his own brand of coffee and runs a food truck.
“He’s so persistent,” his father, Eugene, described him. “He makes us be a better person.”
“A couple of times he’ll fail, but he knows that he has to try and try again,” he added. “I guess that’s what we’ve learned from him. That’s a big lesson in life.”
Chris, who lives on his own in an apartment, said that hearing his dad’s comments about him makes him “so happy.”
Sofía and Chris live on opposite ends of the island, more than two hours away from each other. But despite the distance and their hectic schedules, they make time for each other by having a video call date every night, which can last up to three hours.
This power couple inspires the special needs community and even the people outside of it with the extraordinary things they’ve done and their positive disposition in life.
But more than their accomplishments, Sofía and Chris’ most admirable trait is their ability to bring joy to the people around them. If there’s one thing we can learn from their story, it’s that we can also live our own lives without limits.
Watch the couple’s interview with David Begnaud in the video below.
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