PUBLISHED 09/25/2006
The Inspiration: Sarah Reinertsen
When Sarah Reinertsen was a kid, she was told she'd never be able to run. This year, Reinertsen, 29, became the first female with a prosthetic leg to enter the Hawaii Ironman-which involves a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike, and a 26.2-mile run.
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| ©Patrik Giardino |
Reinertsen's left leg was amputated above the knee when she was 7 because of a tissue deficiency. She started running when she was 11, and in 1997 she completed her first marathon. After running six more-with a PR of 5:27:04-she started competing in triathlons. In 2003, she won the female leg-amputee division of the International Triathlon Union World Championships in New Zealand. "Athletics have given me the opportunity to prove that I'm just like everyone else," she says. Reinertsen doesn't wear a prosthetic to swim, so she has to hop out of the water and strap on her nine-pound running prosthetic to get to the transition area. There she switches to a prosthetic that has a bike cleat bolted to it. She has to change back to the running one for the marathon. Reinertsen, who lives in Solana Beach, California, works as a program manager at Challenged Athletes Foundation. "I want to help the disabled community break down barriers," she says. "I love my life. I wouldn't want to be any other way."
August 8-24, America's top track & field athletes seek Olympic glory in Beijing. Our special section has all the running events covered. 
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