Amputee runner to be cover model on ESPN magazine body issue

From RunnersWeb:

GUILFORD, Conn. -- Sarah Reinertsen, author of the recently released memoir IN A SINGLE BOUND, lands on magazine covers nationwide this week on one of six different covers for the controversial first-ever "Body Issue" of ESPN THE MAGAZINE (pictured).

A triathlete who holds the world record for the marathon for above-knee amputee women and was the first female leg-amputee to complete the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, Reinertsen is one of 80 athletes to be featured in various states of undress for the magazine, and one of six chosen for the multiple covers.

USA Today sports writer Reid Cherner posted the cover image on his blog "Game On!", and states, "the cover on Sarah Reinertsen...will probably be one of the most talked about."

Sarah Reinertsen was born with proximal femoral focal deficiency, a congenital defect that left her without enough tissue to stimulate growth in her left leg. As a child, she was repeatedly fitted for leg braces--often unpaid for by insurance companies--until the age of seven, when her doctors decided it would be best to amputate her leg. IN A SINGLE BOUND is the story of how a feisty little girl from Long Island became one of the world's most famous disabled sports figures.

In a statement from Kona, Hawaii, where she is promoting IN A SINGLE BOUND at the Hawaii Ironman Competition , Reinertsen expressed her emotions on this evocative and ground-breaking cover. "It feels like the next step forward for me," she said. "After emotionally exposing myself in the book, now I can let the world see my body as well. I've struggled with body image issues my entire life. Now, to be included in the ranks of great athletes like Serena Williams, Dwight Howard and Adrian Peterson...I'm thrilled."

Reinertsen appeared in 2006 as a participant in CBS's reality television show The Amazing Race 10. She has competed in triathlons, marathons, and bicycle races throughout America, and has given motivational speeches worldwide. Sarah has appeared on Good Morning America, Nightline, and The Early Show. She lives in Orange County, California.