No matter how much prize money Sam Laidlow wins this coming Saturday at the Ironman World Championship on Kona, the Frenchman will donate the entire amount to young athletes. Even if Laidlow comes away without prize money, the 2023 World Champion guarantees a minimum sum of 23,000 euros to give 23 young athletes an opportunity to develop sportingly.
A minimum of 23,000 euros for 23 youngsters; fittingly, Laidlow has named the initiative ’23 for the future’. The funds will go to youth aged between 10 and 16 who dream of swimming, biking, and running. They can send an email to sam23future@gmail.com sharing their story with Laidlow. The athlete is also offering others the opportunity to donate to boost the minimum amount even further. This can be done through the following link.
“I was once a kid with a dream, lucky enough to have people who believed in me. Now I want to do the same for 23 young athletes. Even if I don’t earn a single dollar of prize money in Kona, each of the 23 athletes will still receive €1,000 personally from me. That means €23,000 guaranteed, regardless of my result. I know €1,000 won’t change someone’s entire career. But if it can pay for a race entry, a new pair of shoes, some equipment, travel to a competition, or simply make one young athlete feel like somebody believes in their dream, then I think that money will mean a lot more there.”
If Laidlow earns prize money this coming Saturday, it will go directly to the 23 selected kids. On Kona, payout goes to the top fifteen finish positions:
| Position | Prize Money (USD per gender) |
|---|---|
| 1st place | $125,000 |
| 2nd place | $65,000 |
| 3rd place | $45,000 |
| 4th place | $25,000 |
| 5th place | $20,000 |
| 6th place | $15,000 |
| 7th place | $14,000 |
| 8th place | $12,000 |
| 9th place | $10,000 |
| 10th place | $8,000 |
| 11th place | $6,000 |
| 12th place | $5,000 |
| 13th place | $4,000 |
| 14th place | $3,500 |
| 15th place | $3,000 |
