CNN
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Billy Monger was just 17 when his world was turned upside down by an accident that left him fighting for his life.
The British driver was competing in a Formula 4 race in England when he collided into the back of a fellow competitor at incredible speed – the collision was so severe that footage of the crash is still hard for his family to watch.
The result was initially terrifying, with Monger undergoing a double-leg amputation as a result of the extreme injuries he sustained. In a split second, the teenager was facing a very different future.
But spend time with Monger, who is now 25, and you’ll meet a young man with an incredible attitude to life; someone who refuses to follow the script.
And, if you ever needed proof of that, his latest achievement provides all the evidence you’d need.
In October last year, Monger broke the world record for the fastest double amputee to complete an IRONMAN. He set the record at the World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, considered by many as one of the hardest endurance events in the world.
He completed the 140.6 mile course – involving a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile cycle and a full marathon – in 14 hours, 23 minutes and 56 seconds, over two hours quicker than the previous record.
The athlete, who also works as a racing pundit and commentator, took on the challenge in order to raise money for Comic Relief, a British charity which aims to end world poverty.
“The only time I ever actually think about (my accident) now, is in moments like when I crossed the finish line in Hawaii and I could call myself a world record holder,” Monger told CNN Sports, reflecting on his latest achievement.
“You think back to that moment and those dark times and I think it’s just pride more than anything.
“I don’t look at it as this negative thing that happened to me and that holds some form of control over my life. That moment, that felt like the end of your world and your world was falling down around you, has actually brought you to this destination where you’re doing this incredible thing.”
Monger battled jellyfish stings, exhausting winds and energy-sapping heat to finish the course which winds itself around Hawaii’s Big Island.
It’s perhaps obvious, when you consider the distances, that this event is not something you can simply walk into unprepared. For Monger, it was the culmination of a year of training, work which made him more comfortable with being uncomfortable.
With the help of expert trainers that become somewhat part of his close-knit family, Monger trained almost every day to get his body and mind in the best possible condition.
“The process of hardening your mind and your body to be able to prepare for that happened over that year period,” he said to CNN.
“Just bit by bit, it was just as simple as getting up each day and tackling the sessions that I had ahead as well as I possibly could and compounding all those little wins.”
Being a double amputee, Monger faced a far more challenging preparation than most. Running, for example, put huge pressure on his stumps, so it was important that his prosthetics fit perfectly.
If they weren’t just right, he knew that blisters and soreness could potentially derail his attempt.
Then came the cycle, where Monger decided to ride a pushbike rather than a handbike. It meant the former racing driver had to learn the basics over again, notably unclipping his cleats when getting on and off the saddle.
It was, unsurprisingly, another challenge he overcame.
“You’re aware (of being a double-amputee) throughout the whole process, like there’s no getting away from it,” Monger said.
“I’d say swimming was probably the most freeing of the three disciplines because swimming is actually about 80% upper body generated in terms of your speed and your efficiency.”
After navigating the swim and then the cycle, the dreaded marathon loomed for the 25-year-old.
It was, in many ways, a complete unknown for Monger, who never ran that far in training. To make matters worse, competitors in the race are forbidden to use headphones, meaning Monger was left alone with his thoughts.
In those dark moments, when the light was fading over the island and he trudged his way to the finish line, Monger was able to fall back on his life experiences.
“I think going through something that’s so significant probably opened my mind up to the fact that most challenges that we face in our day to day lives, sometimes we big them up more than they actually are,” he said, reflecting on how the accident in 2017 might have changed him more than he had initially thought.
“Like things are doable and you can get through them.”
When he crossed the finish line, Monger fell to the road out of both emotion and exhaustion. His family and girlfriend were quickly by his side, overwhelmed by pride.
While this was a race run in aid of charity for Monger, it was also a chance to give something back to his family, doctors and friends, who were there to support him as he rebuilt his life as a teenager.
But it was also a chance for him to prove to himself that there were no limitations on what he can achieve in life.
“I was basically my own car, I was my own engine, I was my own fuel, like it was slightly different to motor racing because I wasn’t having to rely on other people for this challenge,” he said.
“The effort I put in was the result I got out and that was something that in this challenge was quite unique, but that I enjoyed.”
Monger could be forgiven for leaving the world of IRONMAN behind, but that’s certainly not the plan.
After his record-breaking achievement, Monger said he has eyes firmly set on the Los Angeles Paralympics in 2028, where he hopes to represent Great Britain in the para-triathlon.
He has already had positive conversations with the Great British paralympic team and is confident in his ability to qualify for the biggest sporting event in the world.
Whatever he does next, though, being a role model and helping to support others will remain Monger’s primary focus.
“There’s so many negative things going on in the world around us and it’s hard sometimes to find a bit of positivity,” he said.
“So whatever I try to do, that’s at the heart of it. This world record was positive for me and gave me a lot, but also knowing it was for others, that was a big fuel for the fire.”
