Sarah Reinertsen is an amazing athlete who has dedicated her life to being a positive role model for athletes with disabilities. She has been a pioneer in the world of athletics and has reached goals that few people thought she could reach. One of her biggest accomplishments has been finishing the Konoa, Hawaii Ironman Championship. She was the first amputee to do this.
BackgroundSarah Reinertsen was born with a physical anomaly called proximal femoral focal deficiency, or PFFD. This disorder caused her left leg to be deformed and weaker than her right leg. Between the ages of 11 months and 7 years Sarah used a leg brace to help her walk, however, at the age of 7 her left leg was amputated above the knee and she was fitted for a prosthetic leg. While a very capable young girl, the prejudices, or rather lack of understanding, by her school forced Sarah to spend a lot of play time alone.
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Fortunately, this all changed when she participated in a track meet that was held for young athletes who had disabilities. This track meet faced Sarah Reinertsen against other girls that had missing legs and that used adaptive devices to ambulate. This was what she needed to see that she could be a top athlete despite her physical challenges. This one event would set into motion an inspirational career that would change the way the world looked at athletes with mobility challenges.
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