LIVE WITHOUT LIMITS

by Stephanie Starr . photo by Elizabeth Kreutz

ifferent is often a label that comes withnegative connotations. Yet, one womanhas turned it into a battle cry to inspire a

change in how those who are differently able areperceived. You no longer have to be perfect to bean athlete. Just determined.

Sarah Reinertsen has been different her entirelife. As a child born with femoral focal deficiency(PFFD), one of Sarah’s legs was deformed. Upuntil the age of 7, she wore a cumbersome bracein an attempt to even out the disparity. It didn’thelp. Ultimately the doctors needed to amputate,leaving Sarah with yet another challenge to conquer.

No one bothered to include the little girl with aprosthetic leg during gym class. Sarah stood alonekicking a ball against the wall while the others,teachers included, went about their activities.

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InspirationIt wasn’t until age 11, when Sarah met New YorkPhysical Therapist David Balsley, that things changed.Balsley was an extreme runner who saw no reason as towhy Sarah couldn’t train her body to do all the thingsother athletes did. Just because there weren’t any otherfemale above-the-knee amputees out there doingmarathons to learn from, didn’t mean it wasn’t possible.They just had to be pioneers to do it.

“He had me in the gym when I was 11/12 years old liftingweights, doing anything to make my body strong enoughto do the running, to balance on that prosthetic side,”Reinertsen says. “Running really is a total body sport,you’re using all of it.”

Finally, Sarah attended a track meetfor kids like herself. Here she wasn’talone. There were other kids aroundher who were different. And theyweren’t accepting that throw-awaylabel as a license to feel sorry forthemselves and not participate. Andneither would she.

Sarah lined up with the others andgave the 100-meter race everything shehad. It was her first taste of victory,the first time she’d won anything,and it left her hungry for more.

Since that day Sarah has racked upmore than a few world records in herdivision. She was the youngest memberof the 1992 US Paralympic Team andhas conquered multiple half marathonsas well as seven full marathons. As amember of the original Team FlexFoot, Sarah was part of the groupresponsible for testing out a newathletic prosthetic now available onthe market. This incredible limballows better movement and speedthan a traditional prosthetic leg.However, being one of the first ment, yetagain, that Sarah would forge the way for others withoutanyone to show her how it could be done.

“We were just trial-and-erroring it. When they came outwith this new design I had to relearn to run as I knew it.”

Once she had the movements down, she was amazed athow much time it took off her racing performance. Nolonger was she hindered by a cumbersome prosthetic legdesigned for just walking; with the new athletic leg sheshaved 37 minutes off her race time.

Thanks to Sarah and other athletes like her in the testgroup, this energy-storing carbon fiber foot was improvedand the door opened for other amputee athletes to reapthe benefits.

DeterminationNow comfortable with the new prosthetic, Sarah set hersites on even larger goals. She recalls the day she madethe decision to enter the Ironman Triathlon.

“I'd seen it on TV and thought that looked so incrediblycool and unbelievable and outrageous,” Reinertsen says.It was irresistible as a goal.

Known as one of the most grueling triathlons an athletecan undertake, the Ironman attracts competitors fromaround the world. This event chews up even the best athletesin their prime as they go through a course that includesa 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike race and a 26.2-mile run.Sarah knew she’d need to push herself even harder than she

had in the past to make it happen. That meantattacking her weaknesses and fine-tuning herperformance in all three of those sports.

“The biking, that was my newest sport andI had to make up the most time,” she says.

In fact, it was the bike that was her stickingpoint during her first Ironman in 2004. Shewas 15 minutes from the cut off on the bikeand that kept her from completing theevent. But rather than pack up her gear andaccept defeat, Sarah formulated a plan forthe next year. She hired Trainer Paul Huddleand immediately went to work.

“It comes down to the training,” she says.“It’s what you do before the race that matters.The training that I did, I gave it 110 percent.That was my strategy. I found a great coachand I asked for help.”

Working with Huddle, Sarah changed both hertraining and diet regimen. She implementedsupplements such as a multivitamin, proteinshakes, gels and recovery drinks to supporther performance.

“I eat well-balanced meals. After training Idrink a shake. I eat before I ride, during the

ride and after the ride. The biggest issue was findingwhat works on the bike while training.”

Discovering that Cytosport’s Cytomax worked well for herand she could digest it easily, Sarah drank it religiouslyduring her rides. She monitored her intake of calorieswhile training and consumed approximately 150 caloriesper hour to ensure she kept up her energy.

Armed with the right fuel in her body, Sarah trained 22to 24 hours a week during a heavy cycle and a minimumof 8 to 15 hours a week during a light one. Her full-time jobmade it a challenge, but she was willing to make the sacrifice.

“I didn't have much of a life outside of working and training,”she says. “If you want something bad enough that is part

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“If you wantsomething

bad enoughthat is part ofthe sacrifice.This year it

was allworth it. That

finishlinemade

everythingworth it.”

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of the sacrifice. This year it was all worth it. That finishline made everything worth it.”

MotivationNow that she’s won the physically challenged women’s divi-sion of the Ironman, becoming the first female above-the-knee athlete to do so, Sarah continues to pursue new goalswhile inspiring other athletes to do the same. She works forOssur, the company that manufactures the prosthetic parts shewears and travels all over the world as a motivational speaker.

One of the key’s to motivation in athletics, she says, is totrain with other people.

“Make an appointment thathelps you stay motivated. Trainwith someone who is a littlefaster than you are, someonethat pushes you harder.”

Reinertsen suggests signing upfor your events early when youdo decide you want to compete.

“If you have signed up for itand you are committed to it,the training is easier. It givesyou a purpose.”

For those athletes just startingout, she suggests checking outthe Challenged AthletesFoundation. This organization

gives grants to athletes with disabilities so that they canafford the prosthetics used in sporting events. Therunning leg Sarah uses is $5,000 alone. More often thannot, those who are disabled have a hard enough timeaffording one prosthetic appendage let alone an additionalone for competitive events.

You can visit the Challenged Athletes Foundation atwww.challengedathletes.org.

To learn more about Sarah Reinertsen or to hire her as amotivational speaker, visit www.iamsarah.org.

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“Make anappointment

that helpsyou stay

motivated.Train withsomeone alittle fasterthan you, someone

that pushesyou harder.”

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LIVE WITHOUT LIMITS

How Sarah’s Leg Works

Flex-RunTM

This custom foot module is recommended fordistance running. It is light weight and efficient.

Iceross® TransfemoralSeal-In™This advanced seal-in liner eliminates the need fordonning aids and is easy to attach. The athlete simplyplaces the liner on and steps into the socket.Suspension is automatically created by an integratedhypobaric sealing membrane which conforms to your legto provide an airtight seal.. The Iceross® TransfemoralSeal-In™ is designed to protect skin health and comfortwhile stabilizing soft tissue and minimizing pistoning.

Total Knee® 2100Designed to withstand the weight of adults upto 275 pounds, the Total Knee 2100 is made upof an aluminum frame that weighs a mere 925grams! This specialized knee joint is very strongdespite its light weight and has a hydraulicswing control system that is reliable anddurable thanks to its needle bearings. TheTK2100 requires less energy to manipulatethan many other prosthetic knees and isdesigned specifically to avoid collapsing whilein full extension.

Yes, the knee joint in this diagram is facing thecorrect direction. The valve attachments helpfit it to the other parts perfectly.

DermoSilTM

Silicone

Full-length matrixouter cover

Hypobaric SealingMembrane

AdvancedRotation

Control & softdistal pad

Sarah Reinertsen’s leg is made entirely of carbon fiber for it's superior strength and flexibility, as are all of Ossur’s FlexFoot products. Aside from absorbing shock, the full-length toe lever helps simulate ankle motion for an easier stride andmore natural movement. The separate options that make up the leg are assembled separately and attached by valves. Theycan be swapped out to meet the needs of the athlete.

Geometric lock

Shock absorption

Light weightand

efficient

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Compliments of:

www.maxmuscle.com

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