Coming off a historic athletic performance at the IRONMAN World Championship on October 13 in Kona, Hawaii, Sarah Reinertsen will be honoured with CAF’s Most Inspirational Athlete Award at the 2018 Celebration of Abilities Awards Dinner starting at 18:00 PT on October 19th at the Qualcomm Theater in Sorrento Valley, San Diego, California.
A former Paralympic Track Athlete and first amputee woman to complete the IM World Championship in Kona in 2005, Sarah Reinertsen has served as motivation for countless athletes by demonstrating what she could accomplish as an above-knee amputee. Sarah was born with a bone growth disorder called proximal femoral focal deficiency (PFFD).
She chose to amputate her leg above the knee at the age of 7. Sarah’s athletic journey was directly influenced by Jim MacLaren, a legendary amputee athlete whose second accident left him with quadriplegia after which the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) was founded to help raise money for challenged athletes.
Sarah has been a CAF athlete and spokesperson for over 20 years. In January 2018, she completed the World Marathon Challenge, completing 7 half-marathons in 7 days on 7 continents. And this past Saturday, she completed the IRONMAN World Championship triathlon in 14:41:05 – 24 minutes better than her 2005 finish time.
She is also a spokesperson for CAF’s Partner of the Year Össur – CAF’s exclusive global prosthetics partner for more than 20 years. Since 1971, the Icelandic company has been dedicated to developing technologies that help people enjoy ‘Life Without Limitations.’
Each year, hundreds of people with limb loss participate in Össur Running and Mobility Clinics presented by CAF across the United States.
Sarah is also sponsored by Nike whose innovative Nike sole on the bottom of her Össur prosthetic helped Sarah reach the finish line of the IRONMAN World Championships. In addition to Sarah’s inspirational accomplishments this past year, she has spent ‘countless hours mentoring other challenged athletes and serving as a role model’. She has also committed to raising US$40,000 for Challenged Athletes Foundation to help grant access to sports for the next generation of athletes.
The Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) is a world leader in helping people with physical challenges lead active, healthy lifestyles. CAF believes that participation in physical activity at any level increases self-esteem, encourages independence and enhances quality of life.
Since 1994, more than US$100 million has been raised and over 23,000 individual grants for people with physical challenges in all 50 US states and over 40 countries have been satisfied. Additionally, CAF’s outreach efforts reach another 60,000 individuals each year. Whether it’s a US$2,500 grant for a handcycle, helping underwrite a carbon fibre running foot not covered by insurance, or arranging enthusiastic encouragement from a mentor who has triumphed over a similar challenge, CAF’s mission is clear: ‘give opportunities and support to those with the desire to live active, athletic lifestyles’.
From July 2018 through April 2019, CAF is celebrating its 25th anniversary of transforming lives through sport.
www.challengedathletes.org/25
www.challengedathletes.org/ironsarah
