Biography
Sarah Reinertsen is an American para-triathlete and former Paralympic track athlete. Sarah stepped onto the world stage when she became the first female leg amputee to complete the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii on a prosthetic. She first attempted the race in 2004 but was disqualified when she reached the end of the bike course 15 minutes after cut-off time. She returned to Kona in 2005, with a motto of 'Unfinished Business', and crossed the finish line in just over 15 hours.
Sarah is widely recognized for competing on The Amazing Race 10 with her friend, Ironman and prosthetist Peter Harsch.
Sarah Reinertsen continues to race in triathlons and road races around the world and is a current member of the USAT National Paratriathlon team. She is a 3-time world champion in ITU short course triathlon and won the Ironman 70.3 world championships in 2006. More recently, Sarah completed the World Marathon Challenge by running 7 half marathons on 7 continents in only 7 days.
Prior to becoming a triathlete, Sarah had a prestigious career as a runner, both on the track and on the road. Sarah raced with the US Disabled Track Team for 10 years, including at the 1992 Paralympic Games in Barcelona. Several years later, she made the switch to road racing, competing in dozens of 10k's and half-marathons, as well as 7 marathons, before becoming a triathlete. Along the way, Sarah has broken multiple world records, and won numerous awards, including the 2006 ESPN ESPY for best female athlete with a disability. Sarah spends much of her time giving back and serves as a spokesperson for both Össur, one of the world's largest manufacturers of prosthetic equipment, and the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), a non-profit that supports athletes with disabilities. Sarah mentors and inspires other athletes through a variety of Össur and CAF events, including hands-on sports workshops around the country that teach amputees how to run, spin, bike and swim.
Sarah also works as a motivational speaker, and has moved many audiences at multi-national companies like Merck, MetLife, Credit-Suisse, Barclay's, Accenture, etc. Through her multi-media presentation, Sarah shares her story and motivates others to realize their potential by setting goals, facing fears, overcoming setbacks, living with hope, and daring to dream big. Her current mission is to inspire athletes of all abilities to get to their own starting line.
