Catching up with Sarah Reinertsen
At 32 years old, Sarah Reinertsen is in perpetual motion. The Huntington High School Class of 1993 member is recognizable around the world, with her likeness adorning the walls in the bedrooms of those who draw inspiration from her personal story and impressive accomplishments.
Ms. Reinertsen was born with proximal femoral focal deficiency, a bone growth disorder that ultimately required the amputation of her leg above the knee when she was just seven years old. But, that hasn’t held her back one bit. As a Huntington student she participated in a full range of sports and clubs, earned top grades and set her goals high – very high. She broke her first world record as a 13-year old.
Since her Huntington graduation, Ms. Reinertsen earned an undergraduate degree at George Washington University in 1997 in communications with a minor in international affairs and then obtained a Master’s degree in broadcast journalism at the University of Southern California in 2000.
Today the Huntington alum resides in Mission Viejo, California and is starring in print and television ads for Lincoln, the luxury car maker. In recent months she has appeared in several two-page ads for the company in the Sunday, New York Times magazine.
Huntington teachers and classmates remember Ms. Reinertsen as a happy-go-lucky, smiling and hard working young woman who displayed a level of determination that was the stuff of legends. Nothing has changed.
Ms. Reinertsen is president of Always Tri, Inc. (www.alwaystri.net), and has worked extensively as a motivational speaker for a variety of companies and organizations. Nike is an official sponsor.
But, at heart, she’s an athlete, with a resume that is the envy of many. She has completed seven full marathons (26.2 miles) in cities around the world, was the youngest member of the 1992 U.S. Paralympic team at the Barcelona Summer Olympics, set world records in the half and full marathons for above the knee amputee women, established world records in the 100m, 200m and 400m races in her division and appeared on many magazine covers.
In February Ms. Reinertsen appeared on CNBC show, “The Big Idea with Danny Deutsch.” A month earlier she was at Macys at Herald Square for two hours, appearing as part of the Nike athletic campaign for women’s sports, discussing her 2008 racing schedule. She has also worked as a reporter and on-air television correspondent.
When Ms. Reinertsen finished seventh in season 10 of the show, “The Amazing Race,” her recognition skyrocketed across the globe. In 2006 she won an ESPY Award for the “Best Female with a Disability.”
One her proudest accomplishments came when Ms. Reinertsen completed the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kona, Hawaii in 2005. The event included a full marathon, 2.4 mile ocean swim and a 112 mile bicycle race. She became the first woman to ever finish the race on an artificial leg, crossing the line in 15 hours and five minutes.
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