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Sarah Reinertsen: No Moment or Motion Wasted
By Jodi Mills In the hopes of encouraging Americans to get moving
and get in shape, the average person in the United States is being
prodded to reach the goal of walking 10,000 steps a day. To track
their progress, people are persuaded to buy a pedometer, a device
that in its simplest form records each step taken. Just imagine the
device that Sarah Reinertsen would need to record her
motion!
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Sarah Reinertsen competes in the 2004 Ironman competition. Photo by Don Reinertsen. |
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Much has been written about Reinertsen and her
goal of competing in and completing the Hawaii Ironman triathlon
World Championship. With the October 15 event approaching fast in
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, she is more determined than ever to waste no
motion. The Hawaii Ironman includes a 2.4-mile ocean swim, 112-mile
bike race and 26.2-mile run. Competitors have 17 hours to finish.
Cutofftimes are also applied to the swim (2:20 after start of race)
and the bike (10:30 after the start of race.) Obviously, unwavering
determination is needed along with a grueling training regime to
even consider competing in such an event. Reinertsen is up to the
challenge.
At 30 years of age, Reinertsen has carved a niche for herself
not only in the world of sports but also in the field of O&P.
Her game plan didn't originally include becoming such a strong
voice in the O&P arena. Born with proximal femoral focal
deficiency (PFFD), she began wearing a leg brace at 11 months of
age to even the length of her legs. When she was seven, the
decision was made to amputate the leg.
She was determined to fit in and be a part of typical childhood
games and sports. Her parents gave her a bicycle, and after two or
three weeks of attempting to learn to ride, she became discouraged,
got off that bike, and didn't get back on another one until she
was 28 years old. At the age of 11, she began running track. She
was in good company. Her dad was a road runner, participating in 5K
and 10K races on the weekends.
Sarah Finds a Mentor
A friend told her dad that Paddy Rossbach, RN, president and CEO
of Amputee Coalition of America (ACA), would be running in a race
on Long Island. Accompanying him to that race, she was in awe as
she watched Rossbach cross the finish line. It was lifechanging and
inspiring for an 11-year-old girl with a prosthetic leg. Rossbach
became a mentor from that day forward. Rossbach's "can do" attitude
in all aspects of her life gave confidence to the young
Reinertsen.
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Sarah Reinertsen poses with Peter Harsch, CP, in Hawaii for the Half Ironman |
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School and sports played a large role in
Rienertsen's life. During her high school years, she participated
in the Paralympic Games in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain. Along with her
studies, long distance running was her focus in college. In 1997
while attending George Washington University in Washington, DC, she
ran the New York City Marathon.
Trekking to the other side of the country, she graduated with a
masters degree in broadcast journalism from the University of
Southern California (USC). A career reporting on the sports she
loved was her goal.Heading back to the East Coast, she was employed
by WeMedia Inc. A highlight of that job was covering the 2000
Paralympic Games in Sydney, Australia. Working on the syndicated
sports magazine show US Olympic Gold was another
achievement for Reinertsen.
Passion for Sports Grows
Reporting from the New York City Marathon for WNBC-NY reminded
her of her love of competing. The reality was she wanted to
participate fully in the sports she was reporting on. A triathlon
was the ultimate goal. During her time in Brooklyn, New York, she
decided she was going to try to learn to ride a bike again.
Purchasing a used bike, she rigged it up in her apartment on a bike
trainer, making it stationary. This enabled her to practice without
the intimidation of being out in the public eye while she rode.She
also joined a pool with the initial goal of staying for only ten
minutes at a time. Slowly Reinertsen was proving to herself that
she could indeed be a participant in a triathlon.
Back to West Coast
 About this time she took a big leap of faith. A
job opened up at the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF), Del Mar,
California, that would lure her back to the West Coast. Despite the
fact that the job was not in the field of journalism and was a huge
cut in pay, it was a cause she believed in. Moving that direction
would also allow her to pursue her training in earnest for Ironman
Hawaii.
Upon arrival in San Diego, California, she bought a real bike
and began riding. Joining another pool, she received coaching every
Tuesday and Thursday at 6 AM, which greatly helped her improve her
stroke and build her endurance. She participated in her first
triathlon a month and a half after she moved to San Diego.
Reflecting on that first race, Reinertsen says, "I did the breast
stroke the whole way-- the waves in the ocean were very scary!"
However the experience only inspired her to press on and led her to
her first Ironman Hawaii attempt in 2004.
Another career move was on the horizon. Ossur North America,
Aliso Viejo, California, invited her to interview for a job as
marketing manager. The company's motto is "Life Without
Limitations"--could there be a better fit for Reinertsen? She
accepted the position and is now responsible for all the logistical
details for the many trade shows the company regularly attends.
Additional responsibilities include working on Ossur sponsorships
as well as giving away product and money--an aspect of the job that
delights her.
Giving Back, Helping Others
Having gone to graduate school and deliberately pursuing a
course that didn't highlight the fact that she was an amputee was
something on which Reinertsen prided herself. However, she has
found that her involvement with both CAF and Ossur has led to great
things. She continues to be a spokesperson for CAF, volunteering
her time to attend fundraisers; being a part of the "Catch a Rising
Star" program, which provides sports equipment and conducts clinics
for amputees; and teaching spin classes just for amputees. All
these are ways in which she is giving back to the O&P
community. She recalls how important having a mentor was for her.
That is an obstacle many amputees deal with--the difficulty of
finding a mentor who can impart the knowledge they need to get the
most out of life. Unlike when she was a young girl, there are now
organizations ready to support amputees, such as CAF and ACA.
Knowledge is power, and she emphasizes the need to impart that
knowledge to all amputees so they can put it to use in their dayto-
day lives. Going to events like the annual San Diego triathlon,
sponsored by CAF, is something she encourages amputees to do. She
urges amputees to connect, ask questions of other amputees, find
out information, and meet people in similar situations. She highly
recommends being active and involved in sports, which leads to
healthier living, both mentally and physically.
Reinertsen is also involved in legislative initiatives to
eliminate the insurance caps. The changing face of insurance
coverage is an everpresent problem in O&P. Serving on the Board
of Directors of the ACA has allowed her to work on the prosthetic
parity campaign at the state level. Fundraising is also being done
to help support that initiative, along with the ACA's new "Because
We Care" campaign.
She praises the many manufacturers who support this legislation,
along with campaigning and fundraising. The caps on prosthetic
coverage are a hardship for the average amputee who can't afford a
$40,000 leg every couple of years. Posing recently for an ad
campaign wearing a prosthetic limb from her childhood, Reinertsen
illustrates the ridiculous policy of "one limb in a lifetime."
Enabling a larger number of amputees to have access to the
technology being developed is a huge hurdle, but one that she hopes
will be overcome in the months and years to come.
Looking Forward
As October 15 approaches, Reinertsen continues to focus on the
task at hand: completing Ironman Hawaii. Her friends and coworkers
are very supportive, in particular, Peter Harsch, CP, clinical
prosthetist at Ossur. Harsch is also in training for Ironman
Hawaii, so you can often find them on their bikes, vigorously
preparing for the event. She also credits her family for always
being there for her. Their continuous, unwavering support of her
need to excel at whatever she does has helped her to succeed. Her
choices have often forced her to sacrifice being at family
gatherings, weddings, etc. The understanding and unequivocal love
of her family is something she wishes for everyone in pursuit of a
dream.
In each part of her life, Reinertsen looks forward to the
challenges she faces. There have been disapointments, setbacks, and
sometimes sadness, but she is determined not to waste a moment of
the life she has been given. It is truly inspiring to speak with
her and to see her devotion. The O&P community can count on
Sarah Reinertsen to waste no motion, but make each day an event
worth participating in!
Table Of Contents - October 2005
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