A standout lacrosse player, Noelle Lambert earned America East All-Rookie team honors her freshman season at UMass Lowell. The following summer she suffered a life-changing injury in a moped crash, resulting in the amputation of her left leg above the knee.

Just 18 months later, Lambert returned to the lacrosse field, caught a pass in front of the net, and fired a shot past the goalie to score. An emotional celebration with her teammates followed. Later that year, Lambert founded The Born to Run Foundation, which aims to provide amputees with prosthetics that will enable them to run again.

After graduating in 2019, Lambert switched to track and field and became a member of the U.S. Paralympic National Team. She placed 4th in the 100-meter race at the World Para Athletics championship meet and earned a spot on Team USA for the 2021 Paralympics in Tokyo. In Tokyo, Lambert finished 6th, running the 100-meter in 15.97 seconds—a new American record.

In March 2021, Lambert took up snowboarding. By November, she was competing at the Europa Cup in The Netherlands, where she placed 4th. A year later she competed in Season 43 of Survivor. Lambert’s next goal is the 2026 Winter Paralympics in Italy.

Lambert’s visit is supported by the Athletics Department, Student Accessibility Services, and Student Activities