Racing driver and presenter, Billy Monger, speaks with Able Magazine about his epic Comic Relief challenge to become the youngest double amputee to take on the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, and making an attempt to set a new record.

Interview by Tom Jamison

Where did the idea to enter the Ironman World Championship come from?
The challenge came about off the back of the last Comic Relief challenge I did in 2021, when we raised a huge £3m. I just thoroughly enjoyed doing something that I knew was going to be so impactful, so it stemmed from that. As much as it sounded a million miles away from what I thought I could achieve, at the same time, I knew I could cycle; although I didn’t know if I could cycle 180 kilometres in one hit. I also knew I could run to an extent but only a few kilometres and swimming was something that I’d done a little bit after my recovery. I knew I could do the disciplines, so I’d just have to build on that. The fact that there would be a double amputee world record attached to it was something that really caught my eye.

So, the process of getting from where you were physically, to where you need to be, was the thing that tempted you…
There was an element of intrigue as to whether, with a huge amount of preparation and training, I could get to the stage where it was doable. Even at this point, I still don’t know, but all the signs in training have been that we’re moving in the right direction.

What’s your training regimen like?
The training has been relentless. I’ve been training since last October for this challenge, probably for between 18 to 20 hours per week, so by the time I arrive on the start line, it’ll have been a year’s worth of training that will have gone into this. 

The acclimatisation also needs to be considered, so, I’m sure in the coming weeks, we’ll do some heat chamber training to get my body acclimatised for operating at full capacity in those warmer conditions in Kona.

With several disciplines to tackle, it would be easy to slip into dreading at least one of them. How have you prepared mentally for the challenge?
The fact that there are a variety of disciplines is a bit of a saving grace because if you were trying to do 20 hours a week doing just one thing, you could start to dread it. But there are sessions each week, in all three disciplines, that look very daunting when I look at the times and the pace I’d have to do, and I think, ‘I don’t know if I’m going to be able to do that’. But equally, there are sessions which are across all three disciplines during the week which are slower and steadier. If I’m struggling at the beginning of the week with any physical issues, I can ease my way into the week and then have the harder stuff at the end, or vice versa. I’ve got a bit of flexibility with that.

As if the challenge wasn’t tough enough, you’re doing the event with only the essential adaptations, such as running blades…
There’s definitely a huge amount of extra challenge in being a double amputee. The thought process behind doing an Ironman event in the most conventional way possible is because I know that I can do those things from the last Comic Relief challenge. I proved that I could get on a conventional road bike and cycle, and I know from other experiences that I can run on running blades. I knew it was possible and I just thought it would be quite a cool thing to try to tackle it in a way that not just disabled people, but non-disabled people could appreciate. I wanted to at least give it a go. In the first few months of training, the running, in particular, was hard but we managed to find a way to make it possible.

What have you learnt about yourself during this process?
I’ve definitely come a long way. You think you’re an athlete and you think you train hard and you start preparing for something like this but you soon realise that training in a conventional way doesn’t really scratch the surface. It’s not just about getting fitter, it’s about improving technique, it’s about really doing high-intensity intervals in there, but the majority of training is a mental battle, because it’s a lot of zone two work, as they call it in the triathlon space, which is just slow and steady paced sessions, which sounds as though it should be easier, but it means that as much as sometimes those sessions don’t take as much out of you physically, mentally, you have to commit your mind to being present and to working hard.

What lessons do you take from your last Comic Relief challenge, or from competitive motor racing? 

There have definitely been lessons that have been useful. The experiences I’ve had in racing and from doing the other Comic Relief challenge, in stepping out of my comfort zone, definitely built character, definitely built resilience and definitely built my ability to handle discomfort, which is ever-present in doing an Ironman, let alone doing the World Championship. I’m having to dig that pain cave even deeper and there have been moments where I’ve pushed harder than I’ve ever had to, so it’s been eye opening.

Have you visited any of the Comic Relief projects yet?
I’m hoping I’ll get the chance to visit some of the projects before I go out to Hawaii because knowing what it was like with my previous challenge, there’s no better fuel for those tough moments than knowing why you’re doing it. 

How close do you think you are to achieving a new championship record for a double amputee?
It’s so hard to say. I’ve had to do a couple of half Ironman courses to qualify for Kona, so I’ve got those events under my belt and I know my times for those were what my training was suggesting I would hit. The whole training programme has been built so that I get to my peak level of fitness for Hawaii. I’m sure the level I’m at now won’t be the same as when I arrive in Hawaii. 

Deep down, I believe that I’ve got a shot. Maybe, if it was today, getting under the 17 hours mark would be tough but I’ve still got a couple of months to keep chipping away. I’ve got some numbers in mind that would be amazing if I hit them, but the main thing is just to finish it. If the record comes attached to that, that would be amazing.

About the Ironman
Ironman is widely known as the ultimate test of endurance, and Monger will be completing 140 miles of swimming, cycling and running and attempting to beat the fastest time set by a double amputee of 16 hours and 26 minutes.

Monger will be only the third person to have ever attempted to complete an Ironman as a double amputee.

To find out more or to donate, visit: www.comicrelief.com/billyironchallenge