Noelle Lambert is already a Paralympian and has broken numerous records, but she’s striving for more.
Ms. Lambert, who lost her leg in a moped crash on the Vineyard in 2016, is headed to Paris next month for her second Paralympics to compete in the 100-meter dash and long jump. This time she plans to be on the podium.
“In Tokyo, I was a rookie,” she said. “I was just kind of excited to be able to be going to my first games and not really sure what to expect, but going into Paris, I’m a lot more hungrier, and I’m ready to get my first Paralympic medal.”
From Manchester, New Hampshire, Ms. Lambert was 19 when she lost control of her rental moped and collided with a truck. At the time, she was a student-athlete at University of Massachusetts Lowell, playing Division I lacrosse. Even after the accident, she never had a doubt that she would continue being active.
“One of the first people to visit me in the hospital, other than my parents and my family, was my head coach [at UMass], and she didn’t even take two steps in the door before I could ask, ‘what do I have to do to play again?’” Ms. Lambert recalled. “So I always had that mindset of, ‘I’m going to return to play again. I’m not going to let this accident define the rest of my life and define the goals that I want to have for myself.’”
Her definition of purpose and hard work shifted while she was rehabilitating.
“I’m grateful for my accident because it made me understand and appreciate the hard work it takes to go into something,” Ms. Lambert said.
She competed in the 100 meter in track and field during the Tokyo Paralympic games, finishing sixth and breaking the American record in her category. Now adding long jump to her repertoire, Ms. Lambert has been training in California since January with a new coaching team at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center to prepare for Paris.
When not on the track, she continues to be active in the community. Ms. Lambert is the founder of the Born to Run Foundation, which provides specialized prosthetics to young people who want to live a fulfilling life. She was inspired to start a foundation after being helped by similar ones for her own prosthetic devices.
“Seeing the work that those foundations do made me realize that this is what I wanted to do with my life, and I needed to give back all the support that I received after I returned to the lacrosse field and portray a message out to the world that if I can go through something like this and still come out on top, so can anybody else,” she said.
While Paris is fast approaching, Ms. Lambert already has her sights set beyond the Eiffel Tower. She’s hopes to compete in the 2028 Los Angeles games, as well as dabble in winter sports — she recently went to World Championships for snowboarding.
“Nothing’s impossible,” she said. “I want to say yes to everything.”
Ms. Lambert credits her support system for guiding her journey and hopes to be a beacon of light for others in a similar situation.
“If anybody that is going through a tough time or has just lost their leg or their arm, or anybody who has a disability who doesn’t believe in themselves, never be afraid to rely on your support system and your loved ones,” she said. “Never lash out at them for wanting to help, because that’s the whole reason and purpose why I’ve been able to do everything that I’ve accomplished today.”
Ms. Lambert competes Sept. 5 in the long jump and Sept. 7 in the 100-meter in the Paris Paralympic games.
Comments
Comment policy »