An Ironman is perhaps the most challenging endurance event on the planet, combining a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run. Sound difficult? Now imagine taking it on without your legs.
That is exactly what Billy Monger is set to do this weekend, as he attempts to complete the Kona Ironman in aid of Comic Relief – with the aim of doing it in a world-record time for a double-amputee.
The former F4 driver’s life changed forever in April 2017, after being involved in one of British motorsport’s most horrific crashes, which resulted in a double leg amputation. Now aged 25, Monger explained just how different his approach to training has become since his life changed.
Pain from prosthetics
“Most people can just put on a pair of trainers and go out and run, I don’t have that luxury,” Monger tells Telegraph Sport. “I put on custom prosthetics made specifically for me, and if they don’t fit right it has a serious impact on my body and it can take weeks to recover from just a short run.
“As a double amputee the sockets are moulded around our legs. So when I gain muscle in an area the socket can become tight which is incredibly painful. Equally, when I lose fat in a certain area, the socket becomes loose and starts to rub and creates sores.”
In preparation for the upcoming race, Monger took part in the Weymouth Ironman, which consisted of a 1.9km coastal swim, followed by a 90km bike ride and finished with a 21.1km run.
He completed the race in an impressive 6 hours, 41 minutes and 41 seconds, despite having to battle through intense pain from his loosened prosthetics.
“The swim and the bike had felt really good, then I got on to the run and about 10 kilometres in my sockets had started to become loose and I had a lot of bruising and swelling on my leg the next day. I was then straight back to training which was uncomfortable, but I had to grit my teeth and get on with it.”
Adjusting training regime
Monger had his mind set on becoming an F1 driver from a young age, with his father, a former kart racer, buying him his first go-kart at the age of six.
He went on to excel as a junior racer and became one of British driving’s hottest talents, picking up three podium finishes in his first F4 season.
Since his accident, the Channel 4 presenter says he has had to change the way he trains drastically.
“Before my accident I would do short, high-intensity training sessions, which I loved because as a racing driver I have little patience. But now I simply can’t do that.
“I’ve been training 20 hours a week for over a year, which is longer than most people would, but that is simply because it takes much longer to recover from exercise now.
“If I were to run 5km as quickly as possible for instance, I would then not be able to train for the rest of the week. So I have had to adjust to longer, less intense sessions, in order to be able to compete.”
‘It rivals climbing Mount Everest’
This Saturday, Surrey-based Monger will compete in the Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, as he aims to become the youngest double-amputee to complete the course.
Monger explained that the Hawaiian event is regarded as one of the most difficult endurance challenges on the planet, due to the intense humidity, rough sea waters, exposure to crosswinds and a viciously hilly route.
“Training for an Ironman is hard, but training for the Kona Ironman is very hard. It is seen as the toughest endurance challenge on the planet, rivalling climbing Mount Everest,” Monger says.
All profits for Monger’s race are going to Comic Relief, for which he raised £3 million in 2021 when he completed Billy’s Big Challenge – after he walked, cycled and kayaked across the UK.
Monger says his passion for the cause will keep him going on race day, adding: “When the pain gets tough, I find it important to remember I’m doing this to help others and show them that you are capable of anything no matter what has happened to you.”
