Billy Monger is an inspiration to thousands, and he just can’t stop hitting the headlines.
Now he’s back in the news after raising an astohinishing £1.5m for life-changing Comic Relief-funded projects with his world record feat at IRONMAN Kona last October.
The former racing driver turned Channel 4 F1 presenter and Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special star set the fastest time ever for a double amputee on prosthetic legs at the IRONMAN World Championship.
Monger ‘so grateful’ for support
And he has now taken to Instagram to thank everyone who supported his fundraising efforts, which are showcased in an exclusive BBC iPlayer documentary.
Billy posted: “It’s been a couple of weeks since Red Nose Day and I just wanted to give you guys an update!
“All the support you’ve continued to show me, the documentary and @comicrelief around my Kona IRONMAN WR 🌎 has honestly blown me away and I’m truly so grateful for you all.
“Still getting messages from plenty of people still watching the doc on iPlayer and can’t thank you all enough for the kind words🙏🏼
“It makes me so happy to be able to say to you all that in total, WE’VE now raised over £1.5 MILLION POUNDS 🥹❤️.”
Near-fatal crash
Monger, who set his world record back in October, admits he is only just coming to terms with what he achieved in Hawaii.
The 25-year-old, who had both his legs amputated following a near-fatal crash in 2017, became the fastest double leg amputee to complete the World Championship course (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run) in a time of 14:23:56 – more than two hours quicker than the previous best.
Monger was recently able to watch the Comic Relief documentary on his achievement with friends and family – and says the amount he was able to raise has filled him with pride.
Billy full of pride
He said: “It’s a number beyond my wildest of dreams!! 🤯 Feeling full of pride and just grateful that I could share some of the highs and lows of it with all with you all! 🙌🏼
“Together we’ve made a real difference, and have genuinely helped to change the lives of so many people who rely on this kind of support. From the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU ❤️”
Are we in a triathlon boom, or hurtling towards burnout? Laura Siddall on the growth of the sport
