I caught up with inspirational Nike elite athlete Sarah Reinertsen hanging out at the Nike Women’s Marathon in San Francisco and was lucky enough to hear her thoughts on what the Nike Women’s Marathon means to her and what it’s like to be the first female above-knee amputee to complete the Ford Ironman World Championship (Yes, that’s a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run all in one swoop!). I knew I’d hear an inspiring story, but I didn’t realize she would have such great advice to share with all runners.

In 1993, when she was 17 years old, Sarah decided that she wanted to compete in the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. It took her 10 years to get on a bike but once she set her mind to it she wasn’t going to give up. She didn’t finish in her first attempt but when her family showed up the next year in Kona wearing t-shirts that said “unfinished business” she knew she wasn’t going to back down. She made history that day, as she became the first above-the-knee amputee to finish the race and says “completing the Ironman World Championship was so incredibly satisfying and gave me the greatest sense of accomplishment.” And today, she’s back out there trying to capture that feeling again while inspiring “more women to get out there.”

Q and A with Sarah:

What is special about the Nike Women’s Marathon?