Lambert Will Compete in the 100 Meter in Track & Field in Tokyo Paralympics

(Photo courtesy of The Born to Run Foundation)

Boston, MA) – August 30, 2021 – The Board of Directors, supporters, and recipients of donations from The Born To Run Foundation are sending best wishes to the non-profit organization’s founder Noelle Lambert, an above-the-knee amputee who is representing Team USA at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. Noelle is competing in the 100-meter race in Track & Field – the qualifying race will take place on Friday, September 3^rd at 10pmEST and can be seen on NBCSN.  Lambert will compete in the T63 Division (above the knee amputee). She qualified for the Tokyo Games after placing first in the 100-meter at the U.S. Paralympic team trials in Minneapolis on June 18, 2021, with a time of 16.33 seconds.

If she qualifies on Sept. 3rd, Lambert will enter the medal competition on Saturday, September 4^th at 8:30amEST also seen on NBCSN.

Noelle Lambert, 24, a resident of Manchester, NH, lost her left leg in a moped accident in 2016. After her accident, she was committed to helping other young amputees and subsequently founded The Born to Run Foundation that provides athletic prostheses to help other young amputees lead active and fulfilling lives. Since 2018, the Foundation has donated 14 prostheses including running blades, swimming/water legs, yoga arms and workout arms.  Specialized athletic prostheses are not generally covered by insurance and can cost between $5,000-$50,000.

Several of the foundation’s recipients created special good luck messages for Noelle:

• 10-year-old Ryan Feeney of Melrose, MA received a running blade from the foundation.  In his video, he tells Noelle to “go for the gold!”
• David Hiler of Brattleboro VT, a veteran marathon runner who lost his leg due to cancer, received a running blade last year. In his video he says, “run Noelle run!”
• Kevin Hebert of New Jersey received a workout arm so that he could get back to the gym. In his video, he thanks Noelle for the donation and cheers her on.
• Melanie Waldman, also of New Jersey, a yoga instructor, received a yoga arm so that she could continue teaching. In her video, she says that the foundation’s donation “gave me the freedom to try other things too.”

When Lambert lost her leg, she was a Division 1 college athlete who played women’s lacrosse at the University of Massachusetts (UMass) Lowell. She was determined to continue competing and after rehabilitation and training, she returned to the team and scored a goal in her first game after her accident.

During Lambert’s physical therapy, she received support from several foundations that help people with limb differences.  Inspired to also give back to the amputee community, she established The Born to Run Foundation to help young amputees obtain specialized athletic prosthetic devices so that they can live fulfilling lives.

After graduating from college in 2019, Noelle Lambert made the decision to train for the Paralympics in Track & Field with the encouragement of other Paralympic athletes, including Femita Ayanbeku of Attleboro, MA who has also been named to the Tokyo US Paralympic team and will compete in the 100-meter in the T64 Division (below the knee amputee). She competed in the Paralympics Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. Ayanbeku is also a board member of The Born to Run Foundation.

About The Born to Run Foundation

The Born to Run Foundation was established to help young amputees obtain specialized prosthetic devices so that they can live fulfilling lives. Founder Noelle Lambert of Manchester, New Hampshire, created the foundation after she lost a leg in a moped accident in 2016. As an athlete herself and former Division 1 college lacrosse player at the University of Massachusetts Lowell, Noelle wanted to ensure that young amputees who cannot afford costly athletic prosthetics have the opportunity to have an active lifestyle.