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Elio: Well, Sarah, thank you for taking time to meet with us. xAble.com is very excited to talk with you and hear a little bit more about what's going on in your life. Let me first ask you, you were one of the youngest Paralympians back in 1992. What did it mean to you to be competing in Barcelona, on the world stage at that time?

Sarah: I was so proud to be part of the Paralympics, and I think, for me, it was this ultimate dream come true. Because growing up with a disability, you watch sports on TV and the people on TV don't look like you. So you don't think that you can actually be an athlete. And when I learned about the Paralympics, that there actually was an athletic avenue for people with disabilities, it completely shifted my ideas. And it gave me the possibility to dream of being an athlete. And so to make it to Barcelona and be on the US team, I was like, "Wow!" It was a dream come true. Of course, I wanted to win the Paralympic medal, but I didn't win. So it was a little bit disappointing, but I was still proud of the fact that I got there and I got to race for my country.

Elio: That's great. Since 1992 you've gone on to run countless marathons. What are some of the challenges of running 26 miles on a prosthetic limb? With or without the prosthetic limb, it's a challenge. Talk about that.

Sarah: Yeah, exactly. Running a marathon, for anyone, is tough. But, also, when you wear a prosthetic leg, there's extra stuff you got to think about. And I think, for me, I don't get too much, but I do get some breakdown, where the stump starts to rub and get sores, or gets blisters. And when you're training for a marathon, you have to keep on your training regimen. But if you get a blister or a sore, you need to take off that leg to heal, to get that sore to heal. So you've lost out of a training day, and sometimes it's like I'm losing out on just being able to live that day because I've got to take the leg off and then I'm sitting on my couch like, "OK, I was planning to run errands or do other things and now I'm done for the count." So that was one of the challenges in training for all the marathons. That's always a challenge, making sure the stump is healthy.

Elio: Do you have a specific prosthetic you use for long runs like that?

Sarah: Yeah, I actually have different legs. I have a biking leg and I have a running leg. Then I have this leg, which has the high heel foot on it. And I have one that's covered, that's a Barbie leg. So I feel very lucky because I know how expensive all this equipment is. So I feel very fortunate that I'm able to have four legs. But the running leg, the design has really changed in my lifetime. When I first started running marathons, I ran on a Flex-Foot Mod III, which is a great foot. That's actually the foot that I used on the Amazing Race. But for the running, we had that C-shaped foot, which is the Flex Run. And when I started running with that, I took 30 minutes off my marathon time. So the technology really helped me to be a better runner.

Elio: Now, what made you to decide to go and try to become an Ironman?

Sarah: [Laughs] Why become an Ironman? Well, I had watched it on TV. I watched the Ironman on TV and the year I watched was in 1993, which was a year after this gentleman, Jim McLaren, had done it on a prosthetic leg. And so just seeing him and seeing the race, I got into the race. Just like, "Wow, 2.4 miles in the ocean, a 112-mile bike, and then a 26-mile run." I just thought it was incredible. Like the Paralympics, great achievement, but I mean, if you could do an Ironman, "Whoa!" I love the mystique of Ironman. And then to see that another amputee had done it, it was like, "OK. So you could do it with a prosthetic leg." And I didn't know how to swim or bike at the time, so I didn't really pursue the dream right away. But I continued to watch the Ironman every year on TV. And I saw all this guys do it, Paul Martin, Rovaldo Martines, all these amputee guys that had done Ironman. So I just thought, "Wow! They keep doing this and I'm going to do it too." So eventually I started to put some action behind my dreams and became the first woman to do so, which is kind of cool. And now we're seeing more women come out. I think the most exciting is that more people with disabilities are realizing it's possible and they're coming out too. It's exciting to see the sport grow.

Elio: And it's even more of an amazing challenge when you consider the logistics of it. Because it's not only running, it's biking, it's swimming, and you had tried the year before you did it and hadn't succeeded. How did you overcome all of those challenges to conquer Kona? What was the thing that made you do it?

Sarah: Not finishing in 2004 was devastating. I had to be proud of the fact that I got to the start line. Just getting to the race was a big accomplishment, and I had to recognize that. And then, of course, I wanted to finish what I started. So I just went back with more dedication. I got a different coach, started asking for more help. I just really threw a 110% into the goal. I had done that before, but this was on a whole other level. In fact, it was probably a little insane. I actually kept joking that Ironman was my boyfriend and it was the most high maintenance boyfriend I ever had. They'd be like, "Oh, you want to go to the movies?" I'm like, "No. I've got a date with Ironman this weekend. We're hanging out on the bike for nine hours. Maybe you want to ride with us for a little bit." But that's all I did, really live, breathe and sleep Ironman. But it paid off. The hard work paid off. In 2005 I met my goal and it's been amazing.

Elio: Yeah, it was pretty incredible watching some of the video. Now let's do a comparison. What is the Ironman competition compared to doing the Amazing Race, and all those crazy things you had to do in the Amazing Race?

Sarah: Well, I would actually say that Ironman is easier than the Amazing Race in some ways. Because, look, you know the course in Ironman. You know how far you're going to go. You know that there's an end in sight. You know how to train and prepare for this. The Amazing Race, you have no idea. You don't know where you're going. You don't know what to pack. You don't know how to prepare. And you know that it's sort of going to end, but you don't really know when the pit stop is going to come. You know when you sign up for the race, OK, no matter what, after six weeks, the race is done. But you just don't know how long it's going to go for. And the hardest part about the Amazing Race was we only really got a meal at the pit stops. So you don't eat a whole lot and you don't sleep a whole lot. So that was the hardest part. So I went in as this well-trained athlete, thinking I would be fine. The athleticism helps, but a lot of it was sleep deprivation and not eating. And it's a game that's sort of out of your control of athleticism. Like, really, it doesn't matter, because luck is the biggest thing that matters, right? You need to get a good cab, or you need to talk to the right person to get good directions. And a lot of that is just luck-dependent.

Elio: And you have this whole relationship component to it. There's also a social aspect. It's not just, can you climb the wall or swim or do whatever?

Sarah: Yeah. And it's navigating and dealing with foreign languages and dealing with your partner.

Elio: Yeah, it's a partner race. Now, in preparing for the show, were the show's producers concerned about your disability or your ability to complete the race? What were some things that were done to help you prepare?

Sarah: Well, I actually trained for the Amazing Race. Once I started the started the interview process and I knew that I might have a possibility to get to go on the show, I started running with a backpack through my neighborhood. I would load all my dirty clothes into a backpack and then I would go running with this backpack. And all my neighbors were like, "What are you training for?" And I couldn't say, of course. I'm like, "Oh, just an adventure race." But I got used to running with a backpack because I knew that was going to be the reality. And I started doing stairs, you know, going up and down the stairs with my backpack because I knew that was the other reality. You always have to climb stairs somewhere, on a subway, or a train, or something. So I just practiced so I had that down. I also talked to the producers because they couldn't tell me what we were going to do. But they did want to make sure that there were certain things that I could do. For example, "You fill out this." And even if you can't do it, doesn't mean that you're not going to go on the race, but they just want to know what basis you have going in. I think, certainly, they wanted to know if I could drive a stick shift car. I can, but not very well, because it's hard for me to push the clutch with my prosthetic leg. So it can be done, it's not very graceful or pretty, but I could do it. So that was one thing. Because you were going to have to drive in different countries. And some people drive on the opposite road and some countries don't have automatic cars. So that was a reality that they asked me up front. But I didn't know where we were going or what we were going to do. I do think, though, that having an athletic background helped. I think the producers, and I'm just speculating here, no one told me this, but knowing that I'd done something like Ironman and knowing that I've survived six or seven marathons, I think they felt comfortable going, "You know what, this is a tough girl. I think she can do it. So let's just stick her on the side of this great wall and see if she can climb."

Elio: How do you manage to stay fit at a world-class level with your busy schedule as a motivational speaker and celebrity traveling all the time. How do you do it?

Sarah: Part of staying motivated, I think, is really, I always know I have another race coming up, so I have something to prepare for, I have a goal that I'm working towards. So it keeps me honest about my workouts, right? It's only going to make that triathlon, or that running race, hurt that much more if I blow off my workout today. So I know I've got a triathlon on May 5th, I've got to get my butt on the bike and get in the pool and get the job done. So, to answer your question, the way I get my training done, is, well, first of all, I sign up for the race, so I'm committed. And the second thing I do is, I do try to train on the road. I usually only get to do a swim or a run. It's harder to travel with a bike. Sometimes I bring the bike. And when I am home, it's easier, because I have the support network. I know the swim classes that I can go to, there's a tri club I'm active with. So there's people I can plug in to. But I find that working out with friends is a great way to stay in shape too, because then it's social. You're going to meet your friend and go to the gym. And then it's more fun, it doesn't feel like work. You're just like, you're hanging out, you know?

Elio: That's cool. What was it like doing the Nike commercial and getting such mainstream recognition, not only as a female athlete, but as an athlete with disability. What was that like?

Sarah: Getting to be part of the Nike campaign was incredible. Because to really be recognized as an athlete on par with everybody else, I didn't feel like there was this clarifier of disabled athlete, it was just athlete or just triathlete. And so that was really cool. And to be amongst all these other women, I almost had to pinch myself. I'm like, "Oh my gosh! I'm in the same ad as them!" But Nike has been an incredible sponsor, an incredible support. And they have, you know, for a little girl who, with one leg growing up, I always, I just remembered the "Just Do It" campaign, when it came out, when I was eleven or twelve or whatever. And it spoke to me because I looked at my body and I looked at my disability and everything, and I was like, "You know what? I'm going to just do it." Just do it anyway. Just do it the way your body can. So anyway, just watching this "Just Do It" campaign, it just really spoke to me as a kid with a disability. And it's something that I've always lived by. So to come onboard with the Nike team, it was like a dream come true. But they've also so supportive of me. Like going above and beyond in just helping perfect things with my prosthetic. We've developed a new sole that goes in the bottom of the running foot so that we can slip it on by ourselves. Because we used to disassemble a sneaker and glue it on. And Nike was like, "We can make something better!" So now they're making something better. I can switch them out myself. It's been really kind of cool. So I'm hoping that we can make more of them to get them out to amputees all over who are facing the same struggles I do with my running foot. So, my partnership with Nike has really led to some cool things, I think, that will help other people.

Elio: That's great. Millions of viewers got to share in your relationship and all that with the Amazing Race. Do you have any updates for your fans on how Sarah is doing in the relationship department?

Sarah: Yeah! Well, since the Amazing Race I've been doing very well. Peter and I are just friends. We don't really talk a whole lot, truthfully. So I haven't talked to him much since the end of the Amazing Race. But it's still very friendly. We're just, we don't really hang out. But it's been a great adventure. I think one of the things I'm most proud of is being able to show a new audience. A lot of people watch Ironman or might watch marathons, but The Amazing Race appeals to an audience that's not necessarily athletic, which is fine, but to show them and the world what someone with a disability can do was pretty special. But what was even more cool was going into these countries. You go in to China, and you've never seen a running leg like mine, or going in to India. And I can remember being in India, actually, the whole entire street stopped. And they're all staring at me running down the street with this backpack and this crazy looking leg that they've never seen. And it was like the whole street saw it. And I just thought about the ripple effect. It's not just the American TV audience that's seeing it. It's these communities around the world, these tiny villages that we ran through in Mongolia and whatnot that also got to see something different. And perhaps that's also helped to change perceptions about disabled people, that they see them as strong and viable, rather than how it often is in some other countries around the world.

Elio: It's great. Well, speak to that. How do you want people to see Sarah Reinertsen? Do you want them to see you as an inspiration or as an athlete?

Sarah: I think that I would like to be seen as an athlete first. And I think inevitably people are inspired. I know we sometimes struggle with that in disabled sports. We don't always want that inspirational angle, and I agree with that. But in some ways, I think it's inevitable. And I like to sort of almost harness that to propel some sort of good. Not that I'm promoting this fluffy, cheesy, kind of inspirational thing. But I do think that it might inspire people, disabled or not, to become athletic. We have a problem with diabetes and obesity and whatever. So, if they were inspired by my piece, well then great. Maybe they will actually change their diet and try a 5K or try a triathlon. I have to embrace that a little bit.

Elio: That's great. Do you see one day, certain gifted Paralympic athletes like Oscar Pistorius being able to compete side by side with able-bodied athletes in the Olympics? Do you see that as a possibility?

Sarah: You know, I think that seeing disabled athletes close the gap on their performances with able-bodied athletes, I think we will see that. And I think, you know, it is my hope that Oscar Pistorius will qualify and that people will allow him to run. I'm so amazed by this argument that's been coming up about banning him. And he has been banned. I mean, it's been done. He's been banned. And I just don't understand it. I can't get my head around the fact that I don't, look, I wear one of these legs. And this technology that he has has been around 11 years. If it was so much of an advantage we would have seen him ten years ago, five years ago. But we haven't. I mean, yes, it's an improvement on the kind of legs we had years before. But it certainly isn't an advantage. So I can't get my head around that argument at all. And I also wonder if it is just a form of ableism. You know, we have racism. And this is another form of what I'm calling ableism. Or other people have called it, I'm not coining the phrase. But I think that's what we're seeing here. It's almost, people are threatened by the fact, like, they don't want disabled people running with them. Period. The end. And they feel threatened. And so, instead, they want to exclude, and it's no different than racism.

Elio: It's really inspirational. I agree with you. I play power wheelchair soccer and I want to be seen as a true athlete. I don't want to be seen as, "Oh, look how cool it is. I got in a wheelchair, kicking the ball around." No. I want to be seen as an athlete. So it's interesting to hear your perspective on that. What would you say is next for Sarah Reinertsen? What's in the future? What else can you achieve? It's really amazing!

Sarah: Yeah. Well, I'm certainly working on a lot of different projects. I've got the new Sarah bear out, which is a little teddy bear that has a prosthetic leg. So that's been, really, a fun project just to kind of help create something that helps change perceptions of people of all ages. And to teach people that we're just as lovable as anybody else in this package. And I thought a teddy bear was the most lovable cute thing you can find. And so to kind of use that to teach a message has been great. So I'm working on a children's book about that. And I'm working on an adult book, a little memoir. And I'm continuing to train for Ironman. I've got Kona in October. I'm hoping to qualify for Kona. So I hope to go back to Ironman and break 15 hours. And I'm doing a lot of work now with clinics, teaching amputees how to run and teaching amputees about swimming and biking and triathlon. And I think it's so important to give back. I've had the opportunity. I want to make sure that the next generation, or this generation of athletes have the same opportunity to get out there and get involved. Even if they're not an athlete yet. If they want to become an athlete, that's who I want to support.

Elio: Well, Sarah, thank you again for taking time to speak with xAble.com. You're truly energetic. I can feel the energy from here. Thank you so much.

Sarah: Thank you, Elio. Pleasure to meet you.