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Friends, family and loved ones including Adele Roberts, Dan Walker, Gordon Ramsay, Harry Judd, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Sara Davies, Tim Peake, Vick Hope, and his sister, Bonny, share inspirational messages of support to spur Billy on as he enters the final hours of preparation ahead of his challenge this coming Saturday (26 October)
Billy is bidding to break the course best for a double leg amputee and become the youngest ever double leg amputee to complete the course whilst raising vital funds for Comic Relief funded projects
The IRONMAN World Championship 140.6 mile triathlon course consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile cycle and a 26.2 mile marathon through the unpredictable heat in Kona, Hawaii
Billy has been training for more than 12 months for this epic challenge, most recently completing the IRONMAN 70.3 mile Weymouth triathlon in 6:41:41
Billy's journey will also be filmed as part of a documentary, airing on BBC One and iPlayer
Money raised will help vital Comic Relief funded projects provide practical support to those facing their own tough challenges here in the UK and across the world: from giving children and young people the best start in life, to providing a safe place when someone needs it most, to helping families meet their basic needs
Follow Billy’s journey and support him at www.comicrelief.com/billyironchallenge
Thursday 24 October: A steely and determined Billy Monger has arrived in Kona, Hawaii, ahead of his mammoth challenge for Comic Relief this weekend. After more than 12 months of intensive training, Billy will soon face his biggest ever test of mind, body and spirit as he bids to complete the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship triathlon course to help raise vital funds for Comic Relief.
Once on the start line this coming Saturday (26 October), a daunting 140.6 miles will stand between Billy and becoming the youngest ever double leg amputee to complete the IRONMAN World Championship course. But that’s not the only record in Billy’s sights. Racing against the clock, he will be pushing himself to set the fastest time for a double leg amputee. To do so, he’ll need to cross the finish line in under 16 hours, 26 minutes and 59 seconds.
The IRONMAN World Championship course consists of a 2.4-mile swim in the unfamiliar waters of the Pacific Ocean; a 112-mile cycle including sustained climbs in exposed terrains and strong crosswinds; and a 26.2-mile run across barren lava fields. There is no doubt the heat of Hawaii and the scale of the 140.6 mile course will be the toughest challenge Billy has faced to date, not to mention the intense humidity that can be expected in Hawaii this time of year, but Billy is determined to succeed.
Since reaching Kona, Billy has spent the days leading up to his challenge acclimatising to the landscape and temperature of the island, testing the waters of the Pacific Ocean, finding his race pace on the undulating volcanic landscape, and experiencing the reality of racing in the tropics – all of which is a long way away from the UK conditions he has become accustomed to.
Billy Monger said: “Arriving in Kona has been completely surreal. The last few days of training in Kona have been tough, the humidity and heat is brutal. The course is going to bite me, and bite hard. I’m just trying to prepare mentally for when that comes. This challenge has been a year in the making - 12 months of relentless training. It’s been such a long project and the build up to get here has been immense. The journey of a whole year culminates on this one day. It all feels real and quite scary. I’m equal parts scared and excited. I hope I can finish the course on the day and raise as much as I can for Comic Relief in the process. The day is so close, no turning back now…time to run into the fiery pit headfirst and take on Kona. Wish me luck, all your support truly means the world to me."
Now as he enters the final hours of preparation, friends, family and loved ones including Adele Roberts, Dan Walker, Gordon Ramsay, Harry Judd, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Sara Davies, Tim Peake, Vick Hope and his sister, Bonny, have come together to share messages of love and support.
Adele Roberts said: “Anybody that’s spent any amount of time near you knows that you have the heart of a champion and the spirit of a winner, and you’ve got this in abundance. You are going to absolutely smash this challenge and we can’t wait to cheer you when you get home."
Dan Walker said: “I remember your last challenge for Comic Relief from a few years ago - you were amazing and raised an incredible amount of money. What's this though – IRONMAN?! I'm sure you know what you’ve let yourself in for and if there's anybody on the planet who can do this, possibly enjoy it and raise a crazy amount of cash at the same time, it's you! You have my support every step of the way!"
Gordon Ramsay said: “Billy, it’s me, your favourite chef. Listen, it’s here, the big day. I’d like to wish you all the very best. One piece of advice that I got when I did my IRONMAN in Kona – don’t chase the island, let it come to you. Think of the training you’ve done. And do you know what, you deserve this. The very best of luck, sending lots of love bud."
Harry Judd said: “I just wanted to wish you the best of luck for your IRONMAN – I can’t believe you’re doing an IRONMAN, that is crazy. 112 miles on the bike, 2.4 miles swimming, and then a casual marathon at the end - 26.2 miles running. I can just about do a marathon and that’s hard enough…you’re an inspiration mate. I wish you the best of luck, I’ll be following your journey…I can’t wait to see how you get on, I know you’re going to absolutely smash it and I’ll be donating as well. Go on Billy, you’ve got this!"
Jessica Ennis-Hill said: “I have absolutely no doubt that you will smash it. You are an incredible person and you’ve achieved some incredible things in your life already, but I just wanted to wish you the best of luck. Go smash that record!"
Sara Davies said: "As if you haven't given yourself enough to do, I hear you are trying to break a record as well, but I have full faith that you can go out there and I have no doubt that you are going to absolutely just smash it. Now, I don't know if you remember but I did the Arctic trek for Red Nose Day earlier this year with Vicky Pattison, Laura Whitmore, and Alex Scott. I'm not going to lie; it was the toughest thing I have ever, ever done. But having said that, having people around me going through the same thing, having encouragement and just thinking about the cause and what we were actually doing it for was what made the whole thing worthwhile. It was an incredible feeling when we finished and I was able to say that I'd done it. So, not that you need it, but I just wanted to say best of luck!"
Tim Peake said: “Wishing you the very best of luck for your upcoming IRONMAN challenge. What an incredible undertaking! I hope it all goes well and that maybe you can even enjoy it! Best of luck buddy!"
Vick Hope said: “I miss doing the breakfast show for the Paralympics with you every morning – it was so great, and I was so in awe of your commitment to training. I was inspired by the pure herculean effort that you're putting into Kona and you're going to be so brilliant – I am wishing you the best of luck. I will be cheering you from here in the UK as will so many others; you’re inspiring so many people. Just that one training session that I did with you was intense. You've got this and I can't wait to welcome you home and congratulate you in person!"
Billy’s sister, Bonny Monger, said: “Over the past year I’ve seen Billy dig so deep for this unbelievable challenge. Kona is the final hurdle, and I don’t have a doubt in my mind that Billy won’t absolutely smash it out the park. Billy never fails to amaze me with his determination and selflessness, and to always go one step further. I’m one unbelievably proud sister."
Billy’s commitment has not waivered over the course of his brutal 12-month training regime which has seen him undertake hours of training each week, follow a rigorous nutrition plan, cycle miles in a ‘heat lab’ to best prepare his body and mind for the soaring temperature and humidity he can expect in Hawaii, and experience sleep constraints. Determined to help raise money to support Comic Relief funded projects both here in the UK and across the world – including supporting children and young people, providing safe spaces for those in danger, and helping to give families the support they need to meet their basic needs – he will push himself every step of the way.
Throughout every stage of his training, Billy’s family have been a real rock – celebrating his highs and motivating him through the low points. As someone who feels fortunate to have had such a strong support network throughout his life, Billy was keen to experience firsthand how money raised by Comic Relief can make a difference to other young people. So, earlier in the year Billy visited The Running Charity which is funded by Comic Relief. The charity harnesses the power of running to support young people who are experiencing homelessness or managing complex needs. During his visit, Billy met some of the young people that have been supported by the charity and was moved by the positive impact it has had on their lives.
The money Billy raises during his challenge of a lifetime will help vital Comic Relief funded projects provide practical support to those facing their own tough challenges, here in the UK and across the world. To follow Billy Monger’s epic journey, and to support him along the way, visit www.comicrelief.com/billyironchallenge
ENDS
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FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
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NOTES TO EDITORS
About Comic Relief
Comic Relief is a UK charity that uses the power of entertainment and popular culture to work towards a vision of a just world free from poverty. We raise money to support organisations that are closest to the communities who can make change happen. We support work that will tackle the impact of poverty, injustice, conflict, and climate change in the UK and around the world.
Since launching in 1985, we have raised over £1.6 billion thanks to the huge generosity and kindness of the public and our partners.
For more information on our work, visit www.comicrelief.com or follow @comicrelief on X(opens in new window) (formerly Twitter), Facebook(opens in new window), Instagram(opens in new window), LinkedIn(opens in new window) and TikTok(opens in new window) for the latest content and news.
Comic Relief is the operating name of Charity Projects, registered charity in England & Wales (326568) and Scotland (SC039730).
About Billy Monger
Few people embody triumph over adversity as much as Billy Monger.
A promising young racing driver, Billy Monger was critically injured in a high speed collision while racing in Formula 4 which left him with both legs amputated. Despite the severity of the injuries, Billy Whizz, as he is nicknamed, refused to give up on his racing career, lobbying motorsport’s governing body to allow both disabled and non-disabled drivers to race along- side each other.
On his return to racing he went on to score podiums in British F3 and win the famous Pau Grand Prix in European F3 and is currently still setting his sights on achieving his dream of racing in Formula 1.
Billy’s incredible return to motorsport after his tragic accident that left him with both legs amputated was a huge moment across the world of sport. But his dedication, irrepressible self-belief and determination, in the face of unimaginable adversity, to get back behind the wheel of a racing car has shown him to be an inspiration to all athletes, disabled and non-disabled alike.
He won the BBC Sports Personality Helen Rollason Award and had a BAFTA-nominated BBC documentary made about his incredible return to racing. In 2021 he completed a challenge for Comic Relief raising over £3million for charity. He is currently a presenter and pundit for Channel 4's coverage of the Formula One and Paralympics and Formula E on TNT.
About the IRONMAN World Championship
Since its inception in 1978 on the Island of O`ahu, the IRONMAN World Championship® triathlon has etched its name in history through stellar performances, inspirational participants and emotional memories. In 1981, the race moved from the tranquil shores of Waikīkī to the barren lava fields of Kona on the Island of Hawai`i. The most iconic one-day sporting event in the world is the culmination of 40 global IRONMAN events with over 94,000 athletes around the world striving for one of the coveted qualifying slots. The 2021 edition of the event took place in St. George, Utah in May 2022, becoming the first location to host the event outside of Hawai`i since its origins in 1978. After a two-year hiatus from Hawai`i due to COVID, the race returned to Kailua-Kona in 2022 and for the first time took place as a two-day event. The 2023 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship race continued with the two-day format but with two different host locations and dates (Nice, France in September and Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i in October), to allow for a dedicated world championship race for women and dedicated world championship race for men. The cumulative event hosted over 4,000 athletes embarking on a 140.6-mile journey that presents the ultimate test of body, mind, and spirit to earn the title of IRONMAN World Champion. In 2024, the women will rotate to Nice, France while the men return to Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i for their respective world championship host locations. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/im-world-championship(opens in new window).
About The IRONMAN Group
The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN® 70.3® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll® Running Series, IRONKIDS®, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf®, UTMB® World Series trail-running events including the Canyons Endurance Runs™ by UTMB®, Tarawera Ultra-Trail™ by UTMB® and Ultra-Trail Australia™ by UTMB®, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic®, road cycling events, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world, providing participants the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Catering to the full athlete experience, the company portfolio also includes FulGaz® virtual cycling, the most realistic indoor riding experience connected fitness application aimed at preparing athletes for real-world events. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance, a private, family-owned business, and Orkila Capital, a growth equity firm focused on building great brands. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about-ironman-group(opens in new window).
