In an exclusive interview with What To Watch Billy Monger recalls crossing the finish line at the Ironman World Championship in the Hawaiian region of Kona last October and feeling a surge of adrenaline, despite having just completed a 140.6-mile triathlon.
After 12 months of intense preparation for the 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile cycle and a 26.6-mile run to raise money for Comic Relief, the former racing driver suddenly realised he had just broken the record for a double amputee at the one-day event with a time of 14 hours, 23 minutes and 56 seconds.
“My energy levels at the finish line surprised me, I thought I would be completely out on my feet,” shares Billy, 25 about his remarkable achievement, which is charted in one-off BBC documentary, Billy Monger: The Race is On, airing on Wednesday, March 19, at 9pm on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer. “I could see my family cheering me on and I realised ‘I’ve done this thing.’”
Billy Monger and Comic Relief
On 16 April 2017, two weeks before his 18th birthday, the talented teenage racing driver was competing in the F4 British Championship at Donington Park when he was critically injured in a high speed crash and had to have both his legs amputated.
He quickly returned to competitive racing, and since then has forged a successful sports presenter and has become a champion for Comic Relief.
“My relationship with Comic Relief started with a 140 mile walking, cycling and kayaking challenge in 2021,” smiles Billy, who raised £3 million that year.
“It gave me such a positive feeling and sense of pride at being able to help people, so I was up for doing it again, and that’s how this Ironman idea was born,” he explains. “After my accident, money was raised to support my recovery and I always wanted to give back at some stage.”
Ironman - a year in the making
In order to prepare for the Ironman, Billy began a year-long regime to undertake the 140.6 mile course, consisting of (we think this bears repeating!) a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile cycle and a 26.2-mile run.
“The training was definitely the most important part of this. Over a year, my body needed to adapt to swimming for over an hour, cycling for seven hours, and then running a marathon at the end of it all,” says Billy. “I love giving my all to something, but this was a huge undertaking on my body.”
As a bilateral amputee it is estimated that Billy uses approximately 120% more energy than an able-bodied person to walk, so in terms of energy consumption he was attempting to complete the equivalent of almost two Ironman courses back-to-back.
“During training there definitely were moments where I was in the pool doing length after length or a late night run, turning down going out with friends, where I thought, ‘Why am I putting myself through this?’” he admits. “But knowing it was for Comic Relief kept me on the right track!”
The big day
Billy's hard work paid off in Hawaii, although there were a few unexpected surprises.
Speaking to us about the swimming portion, Billy reveals how he was feeling as he entered the first heat, unaware what was lurking in the water…
“I remember getting into the water in Hawaii and feeling anticipation, adrenaline and nerves. Jellyfish wasn’t something I even considered!” recalls Billy. “Less than a minute into the swim I got stung on my forearm and then again, towards the end, on my shoulder, but luckily it wasn’t too bad and I hopped on the bike.”
On the cycling segment of the event, there were strong crosswinds to contend with, as well as a mental battle.
“The bike is one of the three disciplines that I enjoy the most, and in terms of my timings, it couldn’t have gone any better,” says Billy. “But I think the most I questioned why I was going the whole thing was probably when I was coming into the last couple of kilometres of the cycle. It was about nine hours into the challenge, I felt absolutely fried by the heat and the sun and all I could think was, 'I’ve got to go out there and run a marathon now'. My head had a bit of a wobble on my shoulders at that point, but thankfully it was a very brief thought.”
The final push
Having finished the swim in 1 hour, 7 minutes and 29 seconds and the cycle in 7 hours, 26 minutes and 50 seconds, the inspirational athlete was in good shape time-wise as he undertook the final portion of the race. Physically, however, fatigue was setting in…
“I was massively flagging, and I’d never run a full marathon before, not even in training,” Billy tells us.
Adding to the pressure, was the ironclad rule that participants must finish in 17 hours or they are pulled from the competition.
“That marathon felt like the longest five hours of my life. After the eighth kilometre there were hardly any spectators, so it’s a lonely stint of the race where you’re alone with your thoughts. Towards the end it’s pitch black too.”
But, after staying the course, the end was in sight - and hearing distance!
“When I got back into town, I heard the noise of people cheering and realised, ‘This is it!’” re-lives Billy, who finished with a record-breaking race time and became the youngest double amputee to complete the event.
“When I finally crossed the finishing line it was surreal. If you’d told me when I had my accident that I’d be doing an Ironman one day, I would have said, ‘Not a chance.’”
As our interview comes to a close, we have to ask Billy, after his awe-inspiring endeavour, would he ever consider doing it again?
“That’s a really good question. It was a huge undertaking on my body and, after I’d finished the race, I wasn’t doing too well for about 10 days afterwards. But, equally, it was such a special event, I think it would be hard for me to say, ‘no!’
“For now, I just hope we can raise as much money for Comic Relief as possible.”
To support Billy’s journey, donate here: www.comicrelief.com/billyironchallenge
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.
Billy’s journey
- Billy completed the Ironman World Championship race in Kona, Hawaii in 14 hours, 23 minutes and 56 seconds, breaking the course best for a double leg amputee on prosthetic legs by an incredible 2 hours, 3 minutes and 3 seconds all to raise vital funds for Comic Relief funded projects
- Billy became the youngest ever double leg amputee to complete the course
- The Ironman World Championship 140.6 mile triathlon course consisted of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile cycle and a 26.2 mile marathon in Kona, Hawaii
- Billy trained for the Ironman for more than 12 months
- Billy's journey was filmed as part of a BBC documentary called Billy Monger: The Race is On, which airs on Wednesday 19 March at 9pm on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer. It will be available on BBC iPlayer after transmission.
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