Sarah Reinertsen
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Sarah Reinertsen was the first amputee to complete the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. She had initially entered the race in 2004, but was disqualified when she failed to meet the qualifying time for the bike leg by 15 minutes. She returned in 2005 and completed the race in just over 15 hours. She also became the first woman amputee to finish the 2005 Ford Ironman World Championship. Besides marathons and triathlons, Sarah has also competed in bicycle races. She was born with a bone-growth disorder which eventually lead to her becoming an above-the-knee amputee at the age of 11. After the amputation, she began to run track and broke the 100-meter world record for female AK amputees at the age of 13. She was formerly the marketing coordinator for Ossur Prosthetics and Orthotics and spokesperson for the Challenged Athletes Foundation.[1] She was featured on the cover of Runner's World and was named one of the first eight "Heroes of Running" in the magazine.[2] She has also appeared on the cover of Triathlete magazine[3] and Max Sports & Fitness[4] magazine. Since 1991, she has recorded a number of athletic accomplishments:
- Setting world records in the 100m, 200m, 400m in her division (T42);
- Becoming the youngest member of the 1992 U.S. Paralympic Team to go to Barcelona;
- Conquering seven marathons (NYC 1997, 1998; LA 1998, 1999; Millennium New Zealand 2000; London 2002; and Boston 2004);
- Holding the world record in the half marathon (2:12) and the marathon (5:27) for above-knee amputee women.[5]
In 2006, she used the Ossur Total Knee 2000 and Talux Foot as she competed with her former boyfriend Peter Harsch on The Amazing Race 10. They finished the race in 7th place. She is a native of Huntington, N.Y., she now lives and trains in San Diego. She also works as a motivational speaker.
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