Sarah Reinertsen, a leg amputee who recently completed the Ironman World Championship triathlon in Hawaii, was honored with the “Most Inspirational Award” by Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) at their annual Celebration of Abilities Awards dinner.
The former Paralympic track athlete also completed the Ironman in 2005, making sports history by becoming the first woman to finish the event with a prosthetic leg. Reinertsen, of California, competes in triathlons and road races around the world and is a member of the National Paratriathlon team. She is a three-time world champion in ITU short course triathlon and won the Ironman 70.3 world championships in 2006.
She also works as a motivational speaker. Through her multi-media presentations, she shares her story and motivates others to realize their potential by setting goals, facing fears, overcoming setbacks and living with hope.
Prior to becoming a triathlete, she raced with the U.S. Disabled Track Team for 10 years, including at the 1992 Paralympic Games in Barcelona. Along the way, she has broken multiple world records and won numerous awards, including the 2006 ESPN ESPY for best female athlete with a disability.
Her story has been covered in many national newspapers, and she has graced the covers of many magazines, including “Runner’s World” and “ESPN.” In 2009, she published a book called “In A Single Bound,” a touching and funny memoir about how a feisty girl with one leg struggled to fit in with her typically-abled friends. It goes on to recount how she grows up to become a world-class athlete a spokesperson for both Össur, one of the world’s largest manufacturers, and CAF, a nonprofit that supports athletes with disabilities. She mentors other athletes through a variety of Össur and CAF events, including hands-on sports workshops across the country.
She also works as a motivational speaker. Through her multi-media presentations, she shares her story and motivates others to realize their potential by setting goals, facing fears, overcoming setbacks and living with hope.
Reinertsen, born in 1975, required an above-the-knee amputation on one leg when she was 7, due to a birth defect. Her budding track career started soon after. She is originally from New York and competed in the New York state Games for the Physically Challenged in 1987 and 1988.
Source: http://ablenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/2018-DEC-LI.pdf
