Billy Monger, the double amputee and world-record-breaking triathlete, has vowed to complete the Celebrity Race Across the World challenge he was forced to abandon in 2023 after a family emergency. He plans to return to Berlin with his father Rob, sister Bonnie, and mother to finish the final leg of the journey they missed.
Monger, 26, was on the final leg of the series with his sister Bonnie when they received a phone call telling them their father had been involved in a serious car accident. The pair immediately flew home to be by his side.
Father's Recovery Sparks New Plans
Now that Rob has recovered, Monger says the family has discussed all four of them returning to Berlin to complete the final part of the journey together. "We would go to Berlin and then do the final part of journey we missed. It would round off the story a little bit. That is something one day we'll hopefully get to do," he told the Mirror.
Reflecting on the 2023 withdrawal, Monger said: "We were on the final leg of the series and we were starting ahead of everyone else. Finally after all that time we were starting to make things happen. Then came the family emergency. Dad was in a car accident, we were out filming and we're standing there at the check point in Berlin and the next thing you know we're being shooed back to the hotel and we're put on a Facetime call with my mum and my aunty."
New YouTube Series Launches
Monger's comments come as he launches a new five-part YouTube series, airing from Wednesday, in which he mentors four children with disabilities, each with their own individual story and relationship with sport. The show was his own idea and sees him working with the youngsters to find new ways to get involved in the sports they love, build confidence, and discover new opportunities within their communities.
"I'm a few years older than most of them, but the idea is that I can help them where I can and find that common bond," he said. "With the help of Toyota, we can give them a bit of a platform to be able to try things for the first time. Their challenges are a little different but there are so many similarities."
A Decade After the Crash
The series holds personal significance for Monger as he approaches the ten-year anniversary of the crash at the British Touring Car Championship at Donington Park in 2017, when he was 17, which resulted in a double leg amputation. He has since raised almost £5 million for charity and won the Helen Rollason Award at the BBC Sports Personality of the Year.
Monger has not let the accident define him, and has also competed in the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. His new series aims to provide one-to-one mentoring, with group conversations covering topics such as body image, identity, and the challenges young people face.
