Sam Laidlow has announced he will give away all the prize money he earns at this weekend’s IRONMAN World Championship in Kona to help 23 young athletes pursue their sporting dreams.

And the Frenchman has guaranteed €23,000 of support regardless of his result, pledging to put up the money himself if he leaves Hawaii without any race winnings.

The 2023 world champion is inviting athletes aged 10–16 who swim, cycle, run or compete in triathlon to share their stories as part of his “23 for the Future” initiative.

His message is rooted in the support he received on his own journey to the top of the sport.

“I was once a kid with a dream, lucky enough to have people who believed in me,” he wrote on social media (see full post below).

“Now I want to do the same for 23 young athletes.”

‘This time, I want it to be theirs’

Explaining the significance of the number, Laidlow wrote: “23 has always been my lucky number. This time, I want it to be theirs.”

The accompanying slides describe how the encouragement he received helped turn his own ambitions into reality.

“People believed in me long before I had proved anything,” he said.

“They gave me opportunities. They backed a dream that, at the time, probably sounded a little crazy.

“That belief helped get me here. Now I want to pass it on.”

Laidlow is one of the leading contenders for Saturday’s world title, but he has made clear that the initiative will go ahead whatever happens on the course.

“This is a World Championship. The best athletes in the world are on that start line. Prize money has to be earned,” he wrote.

“So if I cross that finish line with $0… I’ll put up the money myself.

“€1,000 to each athlete. €23,000. Guaranteed.”

First prize at Kona – and Laidlow is one of the big favourites – is $125,000 US dollars.

‘I want to know how big you dream’

Laidlow is asking young athletes to explain what they want to achieve, why it matters to them and how support could help.

Current results are not the focus of his appeal.

“I don’t care how fast you are today. I want to know how big you dream,” he wrote.

“What are you chasing? Why does it matter to you? And what could a little support help you achieve?”

Athletes aged 10–16 can send their stories to sam23future@gmail.com.

“Don’t send me the perfect application,” he added. “Just tell me the truth.”

‘Someone believing in them might’

Laidlow has also invited others to contribute through the donation link in his social-media bio, saying everything raised will go towards supporting the 23 athletes.

“€1,000 might not change a kid’s life. But someone believing in them might,” he wrote.

“I know what that belief did for me. I was once the kid chasing a dream that seemed impossible.

“Now I get the chance to believe in 23 others.”

The announcement adds another wonderful dimension to a major race week for Laidlow, who was runner-up in Kona in 2022 before winning the World Championship in Nice the following year.

He returns to Hawaii seeking another title – and hoping his performance can help others take the next step towards their own ambitions.