Flame Bearers: Pathways to Paris
Noelle Lambert (USA): From Tragedy to Triumph on the Track
Noelle Lambert grew up playing in the dirt and on the field with her older brothers, watching the Pats, Bruins, Celtics, and Red Sox. She was always active, keeping up with the boys. Flash forward to college at UMass Lowell where Noelle is playing Division 1 lacrosse, and she's in an accident that changes everything. While riding a moped, she's sideswiped by a truck and loses her leg.
Noelle's story is about what has happened since. She's most proud of how she "never let that one moment define the rest of [her] life." She relearned how to walk (and run) and got back out onto the lacrosse field, scoring a goal in her first game back. She founded Born to Run Foundation, a nonprofit providing specialized prosthetics to young adults and children who want to live a fun and fulfilling life. Her goal is to show amputees that having a disability does not mean they are incapable of playing sports and being active, and to show them that being different is something to embrace. After graduating college, she picked up a new sport (one she previously hated), competed in the Tokyo Paralympics, and set a national record in the 100M US.
Thank you to Noelle for trusting us to tell her story. Learn more about the Born to Run Foundation here.
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Production Team's Favorite Quote: "Do whatever you need to do in your life to be proud of yourself. You never want to just go through the motions, rather you want to give it 100%. And whatever you do you always want to find your why. Why are you doing this?"
Contributing Expert: Judy Lambert (Noelle's Mom)
Audio used from the following sources:
-CNN 'Lacrosse star loses leg and becomes a track star
-ET Canada's YouTube Channel, 'Noelle Lambert Wants To Become The First Amputee To Win 'Survivor' | SURVIVOR 43'
-KREM 2 News' YouTube Channel, ''Survivor' Season 43 premieres 09/21 on KREM 2 | CBS'