Sam Laidlow has pledged to donate all the prize money he earns at the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona to his 23 for the Future initiative. The French triathlete has guaranteed at least €23,000 in support, regardless of his result in Hawaii.
Supporting 23 young athletes
The initiative is aimed at 23 athletes aged 10 to 16 involved in swimming, cycling, running or triathlon. Laidlow has invited young people to share their stories and explain how financial support could help them. If his Kona winnings fall short of the promised amount, he has pledged to cover the difference himself.
The announcement comes ahead of the 10 October race. This is therefore a pledge, not a completed donation; the final amount and beneficiaries will depend on how the initiative develops.
A career that also took him to Gran Canaria
In April 2023, Laidlow won Anfi Challenge Mogán Gran Canaria in 3:40:27, just 13 seconds ahead of Mathis Margirier. Months later he became IRONMAN world champion in Nice. The Gran Canaria result is one chapter of his racing career, while the focus of this story remains his initiative for young athletes.
Sources
TRI247: initiative announcement · Challenge Gran Canaria: 2023 report · PTO: race results