Sarah Reinertsen
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Date of Birth: May 22, 1975 Amputation Level: Above the Knee Main Events: Triathlon Competitive Class: T42 Össur Products: Iceross Dermo®, Elation®, Flex-Run™, Talux®, Vari-Flex®, Total Knee ® 2000, Nationality: USA |
When Sarah Reinertsen was just seven, her left leg was amputated above the knee because of a tissue defect she had at birth. It took her four years to learn how to run, but once she learned - and got the right kind of artificial leg - she was unstoppable. Although she is only in her early thirties, Sarah has already traveled all over the world, and has run in races in New Zealand, Europe, Cuba, and all over the United States.
At the age of 11 Sarah began running track, largely because it was the one thing people didn't expect her to do. As a young girl with an artificial leg, going through her teen years was difficult. Yet she poured her heart into running and training every day after school, either on the track or lifting weights in the gym. At age 13, she first broke the 100m world record for female above-knee amputees and amazingly today she still holds the world record with a time of 17.99 seconds, along with the current world records for the 200m and 400m in her class. Sarah also became the youngest member of the U.S. Disabled Track Team and began to compete nationally and internationally.
Sarah chooses between two feet for everyday life for very different reasons, the Vari-Flex® and the Elation™ by Össur. The Vari-Flex® with its carbon fiber build up and signature Flex-Foot® J-shaped design allows for great shock absorption and maximum energy return, where the Elation™ allows Sarah an adjustable 2 inch heel height for the capability to go from flats to heels with the touch of a button. For distance running, Sarah wears Össur's light weight Flex-Run™ foot, the perfect solution to continue breaking records. All of these combined with Össur's Total Knee® 2000 and Total Knee® 2100 continue to be the winning recipe she encompasses.
In 2000, Sarah graduated from the University of Southern California with a Master's degree in broadcast journalism. Her first post-grad job was to cover the 2000 Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia, for "We Media, Inc.". When she returned to the States she landed a job in New York City working as an on-camera reporter and producer for "US Olympic Gold", a half-hour sports magazine show nationally syndicated on NBC. She also worked annually as an on-air correspondent covering the NYC marathon live on WNBC-NY.
Sarah chose to leave NYC in 2003 and move back to California to train for the Ironman in Kona, Hawaii. While training, she took a break from television and worked for a non-profit charity called the Challenged Athletes Foundation, which helps fund and provide opportunities to athletes with disabilities. Sarah reigns as the 2003 World Triathlon Champion in the Olympic distance race and in 2005 her training paid off when she became the first woman amputee ever to finish The Ford Ironman World Championship in the history of the sport. The formidable Ironman triathlon comprises a 2.4-mile ocean swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run.
Since completing the Ironman in Kona Sarah has pursued a career in motivational speaking. An exemplary member of Team Ossur, she remains a proud spokesperson and advocate of the Challenged Athletes Foundation.
She also scooped up the well deserved ESPY award in 2006 when she was voted Best Female Athlete with a Disability.
Currently Sarah is still competing in various triathlons and marathons while managing her busy speaking engagement schedule.
- Visit her website at http://www.alwaystri.com/
Competitive Highlights:
2009 |
World Triathlon Champion in her age group Published a book – "In a Single Bound" |
2006 |
ESPY Awards Best Female Athlete with a Disability |