Life hasn’t been easy for Sarah Reinertsen.  She was born with a bone-growth disorder which forced her to be amputated above the knee as a seven year-old child.

It took several years before she became comfortable with her body image.  Never in her wildest dreams could she have guessed that she would eventually grace the covers of major magazines such as Runner’s World and ESPN The Magazine, but that is exactly what happened…

In her own words,

It was around the time I was 11 years old, when I had a burning of the bra moment where I cut the form and ripped off the foam exterior of the [prosthetic] leg because I knew I wasn’t fooling anybody. Like I knew I was part metal, part machine, but that was a big transition for me. Being comfortable enough to take off the cover, that foam exterior, and really expose my disability. But I remember when I started running, being in the gym for the first time. I started lifting weights and I was like, “Wow, I got a biceps under here! I got some quad under here!” I remember feeling, like, totally empowered. Like, “I have this weird-looking leg, but I can get these really ripped arms!” Like, “Look at this leg; this could be a leg of steel.” And that totally motivated me. It was like I could create the body I want. Granted, I can’t change this [she puts her hand on her prosthetic leg], but that’s OK. I can sculpt the rest of my body.

I also remember feeling like, “I’m going to show them.” Like, I’m going to be the most ripped, badass girl in the school. That was my goal. And I loved that feeling. Like, you can create the body you want. And I’m not talking surgery.

Once Sarah got started, she was hard to stop.  At age 13, she broke the 100-meter world record for female above-the-knee amputees.  That was only the beginning.  Shortly after, she became the youngest member of the U.S. Disabled Track Team.  She was only 16 years old when she went to compete in Barcelona as part of the US Paralympic Team.

Over a decade later, she became the first female leg amputee to complete the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

Her completion of the race in many ways symbolized the rest of her life.  It didn’t come easy.  In fact, her first attempt to finish the race in 2004 resulted in failure.  She was disqualified after failing to meet the necessary time in the bike portion of the race.  She came back even stronger in 2005, finishing in just over 15 hours.

Her relentless determination and desire shouldn’t come as a surprise however.  Sarah has had to work harder than most people throughout her life.

As she describes,

Look, I’ve had to always work out harder just to walk down the street. You know what I mean? I hop in the shower everyday. Standing on one leg for hours. I ski on one leg. So just physically, to live, I’m using my body way more just to keep up. So I think my body has been trained its entire life. Not just in the gym, but just to like get up and do [whatever]. I feel like I’ve been training my whole life for this body, but I don’t know if I wasn’t born this way, if I had two legs … I could be a fat slob. I don’t know if I would have become an Ironman. I don’t know if I’d have become a marathoner. So maybe in some way, that was part of the gift that gave me this body.

As you can see, Sarah doesn’t make excuses.  She didn’t blame her leg when she failed in 2004.  She got right back in the gym and started working harder.

She’s worked hard for everything that she has accomplished and is still going strong as at age 36.  She continues to compete in races around the world as she refuses to be sidelined by her disability.

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For those interested, the video below was filmed shortly after her participation in the Ironman.  It is well worth a look to see what this woman has endured and accomplished throughout her life.

If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it. – Mary Engelbreit

It has been over four years since I posted a video about Rohan Murphy (here).  As you may recall, Rohan lost his legs at birth, yet began wrestling as a freshman in high school.  He refused to be sidelined by his disability and eventually went on to wrestle at Penn State University.

In the time since, Rohan has been quite busy (which should come as no surprise).  He now works as a motivational speaker and is training for the 2012 Paralympic Games.

Below is a recent video of him that was emailed to me last week.

For those interested, here is the Nike commercial that he mentions above:

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Stories such as Rohan’s are welcome reminders that our own problems are often insignificant when compared to those of others.  Whatever we are dealing with could almost always be worse.  While many pity their own situations, others such as Rohan keep moving forward despite inconceivable circumstances.  It is impossible for an able-bodied person to understand what it would be like to wake up without legs.  Rohan knows no other way, yet doesn’t want our pity.  He’s too busy working towards his goals and inspiring others along the way.

I’m amazed at the drive and obvious passion that resonates throughout this young man.  His ability and desire to keep moving forward is beyond inspirational.

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“I accept my disability as a gift.” – Rohan Murphy

Below is a brief video that was recently posted to my Facebook page.  It is less than 2 minutes, but still long enough to get the blood flowing.  Within the clip, you’ll hear words from those such as Al Pacino and Nick Vujicic (both featured in previous entries).

Enjoy…

If you are familiar with this blog, you know that I enjoy inspirational quotes from the past.   There is always something to learn from those who have come before us.

One quote that I’ve highlighted previously comes from Thomas Edison.

“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

This quote came to my mind immediately after watching the video below.   Within the clip, you will see an amazing collegiate race from 2008.  I had never seen it before until last week.  I won’t spoil the event for you, but let’s just say that Heather Dorniden has inspired many through her refusal to give up.

While on the subject of giving up, it’s no surprise that Thomas Edison was so adamant against it.  The quote above isn’t his only on this particular topic.  He also went on to say,

“Our greatest weakness lies in giving up. The most certain way to succeed is always to try just one more time.”

There is so much truth to his words.  It’s doubtful that we’ll ever realize our true potential.  If you keep trying to improve, it is bound to happen eventually.  The odds will certainly be in your favor.  I’d much rather be stubborn than someone who packs up whenever the going gets tough.

In the summer of 2009, a 20-year-old powerlifter (Ali McWeeny) was involved in a near fatal boating accident.  After being sucked into the boat’s propeller, Ali lost her lower leg and was hospitalized for over 3 weeks.  She was told by doctors that she would never lift again.  Fortunately, Ali refused to listen and has returned to the platform.

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As you’ll see below, Ali is still going strong as she keeps moving forward.

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“Accept fate, and move on. Don’t yield to the seductive pull of self-pity. Acting like a victim threatens your future.”

Anthony Robles was featured on this blog in early 2009.  If you are not familiar with his story, you may wish to start with by reviewing the original entry.   The abbreviated version is that he is a collegiate wrestler who competes despite having just one leg.

In the two years since he was mentioned here, he’s been wrestling all along.  Last night, Anthony Robles won the 2011 NCAA Wrestling Championships.  In addition to his dominant championship performance, Anthony was also named the outstanding wrestler of the entire tournament.  The award is a fitting conclusion to an outstanding year.  Anthony remained unbeaten with a remarkable 36-0 record.

Below is a quick recap of his championship:

You can also hear from him in more detail through the following press conference footage.

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“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.” – Ayn Rand

Update – This prior entry has been revised with a new video link

As you will see below, Terence Haynes has a story to tell. Anyone who has ever struggled with weight problems should set aside 10 minutes to watch the entire video.

Here is a man who lost over 200 pounds in a year. During this time, he’s also gone back to school and competed as a collegiate wrestler. I like this story for many reasons. Haynes has shown that we all have the ability to reinvent our lives, rather than falling victim to past mistakes.

Critics may argue that he should have never allowed himself to reach 430 pounds, but such critics forget that we’ve all made mistakes. If you are reading this entry, you are human, which means that you too have made mistakes. It’s part of life.

Unfortunately, many who’ve made mistakes are still lost in the past. They honestly believe that it is impossible to change. They relate changing their life to a battle that cannot be won. Haynes has shown that the opposite is true. Making such a rapid and dramatic change at age 45 is truly incredible.

I’m sure there are others in his position who have already given up. Hopefully they can find inspiration from those such as Terence Haynes. They will realize that change isn’t exclusive to anyone. The only secret to change is diligence, perseverance, and consistency. If you want to change, get up and make it happen. There are no secrets or quick fixes. Get up, get busy, and stay busy. And if you don’t have time, make time. It’s there, you just need to look a little harder. We are all working with a 24 hour day. Busy people aren’t blessed with 36 hour days. From the standpoint of time, we all operate on a level playing field.

Haynes lost all of this weight while maintaining a busy schedule. He wasn’t training 24 hours a day. He was active with school and family, yet still found time to dramatically alter (and improve) his life.

Being busy isn’t an excuse to let your life slip away. Being busy simply means that you are just like the rest of us.

Below is a recent video of a woman who I have blogged about before.   As stated previously, this woman did not begin exercising until her late 50′s.  As you’ll soon see, she is now a powerlifting record holder for her age and weight class.  She is still going strong with no signs of letting up.

When I first read about Gayle, I was amazed at her ability to progress so quickly despite such a late start in life.   Let me remind you that she’s in her mid-60′s and did not begin lifting until 2003.  Her story certainly gives hope to those who believe it is too late to start something new.  Perhaps even more importantly, she reminds us that we can continue to compete at almost any age.

I see many former athletes who have lost motivation to train as they believe their chance to compete has expired.  The reality however is that there are still competitive outlets for athletes of any age.  It is incredible for me to see a woman in her 60′s who has just recently started to compete as a powerlifter.

Gayle has approximately 30 years on me.  To think that I have three decades before I reach the point where she has really just begun is mind boggling.  I personally don’t have any interest in powerlifting, but it is nice to be reminded that I can always seek new challenges later in life.

The tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goals to reach.” – Benjamin Mays

Below is a video that was sent to me by a 45-year-old man who is training for an upcoming Tough Mudder challenge.  It is worth a look both for inspiration and entertainment. 

A man is not old as long as he is seeking something. – Jean Rostand

As a youngster, Stefaan Engels was diagnosed with asthma and told to avoid strenuous exercise.   Fortunately, he did not heed the advice.

Now 49 years old, Stefaan recently finished running his 365th marathon in 365 days.   Yes, that is correct.  He ran a marathon every day for an entire year.  That’s 9,569 miles in the year, which means he averaged more than one mile for every hour in the day for a full year.  He wasn’t crawling either.  He averaged around 4 hours for each marathon, but ran as fast as 2 hours and 56 minutes.  His marathon stretch covered 7 countries.  He ran in Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Canada, Mexico, the U.K. and the U.S.

Personally, I have little to no interest in marathon running, but I’m extremely impressed with Stefaan’s accomplishment.  There were days when he’d run a marathon and then rush to the airport so he could run in another country the next day.  Talk about consistency and dedication.

It is quite common to challenge yourself with difficult goals, yet become distracted as time passes.  Stefaan stayed on course every day for an entire year.  I’m sure there were difficult times for him, when he questioned whether he’d get up and continue.  He persevered however, one day at a time.

I first mentioned Stefaan’s goal to run a marathon every day for a year several months ago on Facebook.  Many chimed in with doubt, adamantly stating that it could not be done.  It’s nice to see that the critics have been silenced again.  Stefaan did what many thought was impossible.

Much can be said about his consistency.  Regardless of your interest (or lack of) in marathon running, we could all benefit from such determination and perseverance.  Hats off to Stefaan for an inspiring year of running.

The road to success is dotted with many tempting parking places.