Breakfast with Bob Kona Ironman 2018
Sarah is interviewed by Breakfast with Bob before she competes in this year’s 2018 Kona Ironman World Championships. She talks about what originally inspired her to get started running and setting goals which led to competing in the Paralympics and the Ironman World Championship two times in the past.
She discusses how as a child with a disability it was difficult to get involved in sports. She didn’t know she could be an athlete until she met Jim McClaren, which changed the trajectory of her life, as he showed her it was possible to be a runner and to race in triathlons.
Sarah, who missed the bike cutoff time in Kona in 2004 but came back in 2005 to make all of the cutoffs became the only single above knee amputee woman to finish the race. She talks about her experiences in 2004, what she learned and how it helped her conquer the course in 2005 to hear Mike Reilly say the words, “You are an Ironman”.
She also discusses her most recent athletic accomplishment of being the first amputee athlete to complete the World Marathon 777 Challenge, 7 marathons in 7 days on 7 continents.
Thirteen years later she is back, aiming to finish the race and inspire other challenged athletes to reach for their dreams.
I know when I start this race, there are no guarantees I am going to make the cutoff. So it is a very different ballgame. I am not looking for first, second or even tenth place. I just want to finish this thing. –Sarah Reinertsen