IRONMAN has confirmed that Billy Monger, a former racing driver and double amputee, will race at the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona on October 26, as an IRONMAN Ambassador Athlete.
Monger will raise funds for Comic Relief, a major UK charity with an extensive TV and online reach that has raised over £1.5 billion since it was established in the late 1980s. Broadcast in March each year, Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day has an annual TV viewership of around 4 million.
In 2017, just before his 18th birthday, Billy Monger suffered life-changing injuries in a near-fatal race crash that led to the amputation of his legs. He was back behind the wheel within a year and has since pushed boundaries in the world of sport.
Since then, Monger has already raised £3 million for Comic Relief when he when he walked, cycled and kayaked across England in four days. As Comic Relief prepares to celebrate its 40th year in 2025, he is planning to conquer a pinnacle race of the triathlon calendar.
Monger is also hoping to set the fastest finish time for a double amputee on prosthetic legs at the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship, by completing the event in under 16 hours, 26 minutes and 59 seconds.
Billy Monger said “There’s no doubt about it that this is going to push me to my physical and mental breaking points. I’ve never run a marathon before, I’ve never cycled for 7-8 hours in a row, or swam 4km in the ocean.
“Add the heat and humidity of Hawaii to it all and there’s just so many factors to deal with – I know this is going to take every single bit of effort that I’ve got in me to get it done.”
He continued, “Even though my first challenge was so hard – it was gruelling and took so much out of me – I just loved being a part of something that I knew was going to make such a difference. It’s what Comic Relief is all about and it’s why I’m back for more.
“I was lucky to meet people from projects supported by Comic Relief at the time, which was such an inspiration when you’re able to see how donations really do change people’s lives for the better. With every mile I cover, I’m hoping to raise as much as I can for those who need it most. To everyone supporting me and cheering me on, I’m so grateful. It really does mean the world.”
Samir Patel, CEO of Comic Relief, said “We’re thrilled to be welcoming Billy back to take on his second challenge for Comic Relief.
“Three years on from seeing him grip the UK nation with his unshakeable determination, he’s once again going above and beyond to help raise life changing funds for people fighting poverty and injustice here in the UK and around the world. Billy’s commitment embodies the true spirit of Comic Relief. There’s no doubt this is one of our toughest ever challenges, but if there’s anyone I’d back to see it through, its Billy.”
Money raised by Monger will help Comic Relief funded projects provide practical support to those facing their own tough challenges in the UK and across the world. From giving children and young people a start in life, to providing a safe place when someone needs it most, to helping families meet their basic needs. Monger’s journey to Kona in October 2024 will be filmed as part of a documentary, airing on BBC One and iPlayer in 2025.
Once on the start line in Kailua-Kona, Monger will have completed 12 months of intensive training, which has seen him learn how to swim in open water, clamp into magnetic bike pedals to enable independent cycling, and adjust to new running blades to see him through longer distances than he’d ever run before.
Every step of the journey so far has involved support including adjustments by prosthetists, ongoing guidance from nutrition experts, fine-tuning from discipline-specific coaches, and the continued support of his family.
www.comicrelief.com/billyironchallenge
www.ironman.com
