Billy becomes the youngest ever double leg amputee to complete the course…
An exhausted but ecstatic Billy Monger completed his mammoth challenge over the weekend in Kona, Hawaii, finishing the IRONMAN World Championship and breaking the course best for a double leg amputee by 2 hours, 3 minutes and 3 seconds, finishing in an incredible 14:23:56, all to raise funds for Comic Relief funded projects.
Billy Monger:
What a day! That was the longest day of my life – I just felt so much love out on the course; that was a really special day. All that hard work finally paid off and it couldn’t have gone better, everything came together in a really good way. There were a few moments – getting stung by jellyfish and getting a cut on my run socket but all things considered, issues we could have had, I am absolutely chuffed it was a race I couldnt have dreamed of. My support team as always are absolutely amazing and so big thanks to them and of course the publics support, I hope you guys have loved the journey as much as I have and we are an IRONMAN! A course record by two hours? Thatll do!!
Competing in the IRONMAN World Championships is an immense task for any athlete, and with Billy also becoming the youngest ever athlete to complete the course on prosthetic legs, it is truly an incredible achievement. Billy has undertaken 12 months of intense training for the challenge, committing to session after session and mile after mile in the water, on his bike and on his running blades to prepare for the race.
Billy headed to the start line full of emotion and determination, ready to face the 140.6 miles ahead, but also nervous how his body and mind would handle the pressure of a World Championship event in the heat and humidity in Kona.
He set off quickly in the 2.4 mile swim, with the field of professional and amateur triathletes all fighting for space in the waters of the pacific ocean. Despite being stung twice by jellyfish, Billy powered through to finish the swim in 1 hour, 7 minutes and 29 seconds.
Billy took just under 12 minutes in the first transition area where he attached his cycling prosthetics and hit the road for the epic 112 mile cycle. Equivalent to cycling from London to Birmingham, this was Billys longest ever cycle. The weather did not favour the cyclists during this discipline, and Billy was forced to battle strong crosswinds as he took on the undulating course, but he dug deep and finished in 7 hours, 26 minutes and 50 seconds.
Finally, switching into his running blades for the final discipline, Billy headed out for a full 26.2 mile marathon through the rolling lava fields of Hawaii. By this point, Billy was really struggling with fatigue, and 10km in, he experienced something he was not expecting torrential rain! Heading up the steepest hill on running blades in heavy rain is incredibly challenging, but Billy pushed on, walking most of the way. As he neared the crest of the hill, roars of support from his team and spectators lining the route spurred him on to take the final few metres of the hill at a run.
Digging deep down into his reserves, Billy regained his stride and continued onwards. As he approached the course halfway marker, the sun set and it was time for the athletes to turn on their head torches, adding a new element to the already treacherous conditions. This is the worlds most iconic single day endurance event for a reason it’s tough, and many athletes who are well-trained and fully prepared dont complete the course, especially on their first attempt.
Thanks to Billys determination, preparation and the wealth of support he has received, he wasnt one of them, completing the run in 5 hours, 26 minutes and 26 seconds, giving him a final IRONMAN course best for a double leg amputee on prosthetic legs of 14:23:56, beating the previously held time of 16:26:59.
There’s still time to donate and support Billy by visiting www.comicrelief.com/billyironchallenge
