UML Women鈥檚 Lacrosse Alum Recognized for Born to Run Foundation
12/18/2020
By Ed Brennen
First it was Oscar-winning actress . Then entertainer .
Some serious star power shined a light on Noelle Lambert 鈥�19 and her nonprofit after the former UML women鈥檚 lacrosse player was named the 2020 Women of Worth National Honoree by L'Or茅al Paris on Dec. 1.
"It is such an incredible honor,鈥� said Lambert, who made an inspiring return to the lacrosse field in 2018 after losing her left leg in a moped accident. Later that year, the Londonderry, New Hampshire, native started the Born to Run Foundation, which provides young amputees with prosthetics that allow them to run again. So far, she has donated 10 athletic prostheses to youngsters across the country.
Lambert received $10,000 for her foundation when she was named one of 10 Women of Worth finalists in October. After several weeks of online public voting, Mirren surprised Lambert with the news that she was the national honoree while taping Lambert receives an additional $25,000 for her foundation as the national honoree.
鈥淛ust because you鈥檙e an amputee doesn鈥檛 mean your life is over,鈥� Lambert said during a recent appearance on 鈥淭he Kelly Clarkson Show,鈥� where she thanked L'Or茅al Paris for the award that 鈥渁llows us to gift someone a prosthetic so they can live their lives.鈥�
鈥淣oelle, you are utterly incredible,鈥� said King, a L'Or茅al Paris spokesperson and star of the TV show 鈥淗ow to Get Away with Murder.鈥� 鈥淵ou鈥檝e taken this moment that would have broken many people, and you used that strength to instead inspire others.鈥�
While Lambert has hung up her lacrosse stick, her athletic career is not over. As a member of the U.S. Paralympic Team, Lambert set an American record with a time of 16.31 seconds in the women鈥檚 100-meter sprint in November 2019 at the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai. She is training for the 2021 Paralympics in Tokyo.