He never shys away from a challenge but today former racing driver Billy Monger will be putting his dancing skills to the test as he makes Strictly Come Dancing history.
The 25-year-old's life changed forever just three weeks ahead of his 18th birthday when he was critically injured in a high-speed crash during a Formula 4 race in Donnington in 2017. The injuries he suffered in the accident led him to have both of his legs amputated, but he has not let it hold him back.
Monger returned to the track just three months later, with a BAFTA-nominated documentary telling the story of his accident and his inspiring recovery. He has since moved into presenting and punditry, working on Channel 4's coverage of Formula 1 and the Paralympics, while in October, he took part in an IRONMAN World Championship triathlon to raise money for Comic Relief, setting a new world record time for a double amputee and becoming the youngest double amputee to complete an Ironman event.
He will make history again on Christmas Day as he becomes the first double amputee to take to the Strictly dancefloor for the show's festive special. Monger will compete against comedian Josh Widdicombe, drag artist Tayce, presenter Vogue Williams, Gladiators star Harry Aikines-Aryeetey and actor Tamsin Outhwaite in the hope of lifting the Christmas Glitterball trophy, and despite his usually fearless nature, the former racing ace has admitted he is feeling the nerves.
"The thought of donning sequins in front of Craig Revel Horwood fills me with a fear I've never experienced before," he said ahead of the show. "This is about as far from my comfort zone as it can get.
"My family are big Strictly fans, so I'm doing it for them. I'm just hoping my leg doesn't fall off mid-dance."
Monger will be supported not only by professional dance partner Nadiya Bychkova on the show, but also by his girlfriend Zara and his family. It's unclear how long he has been in a relationship with the glamorous DJ - who goes by the artist name ZPM - but he has shared several loved-up snaps of them both of his Instagram page in recent months.
The couple spent time together in Paris this summer as Monger worked at the Paralympics, while they also hit the BBC Sports Personality of the Year red carpet together earlier this month.
The racing ace has also received lots of support from his parents as well as his younger sister Bonny, who he appeared alongside on the BBC's Celebrity Race Across the World last year. The siblings competed against Good Morning Britain weatherman Alex Beresford and his dad, McFly drummer Harry Judd and his mum and All Saints star Melanie Blatt and her mum as they raced through 24 countries from Morocco to Norway, but had to pull out of the race in the final episode due to a family emergency back in the UK.
Makeup artist Bonny is regularly seen supporting her brother in his ventures and has garnered a large following of her own, boasting nearly 20,000 followers on Instagram. Amongst plenty of holiday snaps, she has shared photos of her and her brother attending Buckingham Palace and celebrating Celebrity Race Across the World's BAFTA win together.
It is clear how much Monger values his relationships, as he penned a touching message to his girlfriend and family after completing the IRONMAN triathlon in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii earlier this year.
'You’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with'," he wrote. "Well if that is truly the case… there’s no wonder achieving the extraordinary out in Kona just over a month ago, truly felt possible.
"In fact, ANYTHING feels possible when I look at the team I’ve been fortunate enough to find in my life. These people bring the best out of me, without a shadow of doubt. I love having them in my life so much! And I hope they all know this.
"In these pictures you’ll see my friends and family, who together are just the absolute dream team! I truly couldn’t of done any of this without them. And if you’ve made it this far… Well done. And I hope you all find people who will show up for you like everyone above has done for me."
