Billy Monger: The Ironman world record breaker now aiming for the Paralympics

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After losing both of his legs in a motor racing crash at age 17, Billy Monger’s greatest challenge was learning how to walk again. So the thought of completing an Ironman triathlon was something he didn’t think was possible back in 2017. But seven years later, Monger achieved exactly that – becoming the fastest double amputee to complete an Ironman triathlon. He took part in the famous Hawaii Ironman, a 226km (140 miles) competition consisting of a 3.8km (2.4 miles) swim, a 180km (112 miles) cycle and a 42.2km (26.2 miles) marathon run. Monger completed the course in 14 hours 23 minutes 56 seconds, breaking the previous world record by over two hours. He’s now set his sights on representing Great Britain in para-triathlon at the 2028 Paralympics in Los Angeles and he tells Sportshour’s Mani Djazmi about his Ironman challenge, how his crash changed his perspective and what’s next. Image: Billy Monger of Great Britain celebrates after finishing the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship on October 26, 2024 in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images for IRONMAN)