The Gauntlet timed run test sounds intimidating on its own. It consists of one mile, a half-mile, a quarter-mile and a half lap around the track. But if amputee Noelle Lambert can complete it, anyone can. 

After losing her left leg in a moped accident July 30, 2016, on Martha’s Vineyard, the UMass-Lowell attacker first thought her lacrosse career was over. Was she still on the team?

“You are the team,” coach Carissa Medeiros said.

“I knew I lost my leg right on the scene,” Lambert told Lacrosse Magazine in August 2016. “I was terrified I wouldn’t be able to play again.”

Following surgery, Lambert then made it her personal mission to run again. Her motto became “Born to Run,” which is also the name of a foundation she is starting to help fellow amputees. 

“The name, to me, means that I was born to be an athlete, and now that I have such a challenging task ahead, it makes me think that I will never give up until I achieve the many goals that I have,” Lambert said. 

Lambert’s first step to recovery was taking her first step with her prosthetic leg. Her prosthetist, Jason Lalla, who is also an amputee and has competed in the Paralympics, and her personal trainer, Kirstin Kochanek of Fortitude Health and Training, helped Lambert train for The Gauntlet. Passing the run test was a major milestone in her quest to return to the River Hawks.

“I was very fortunate in having someone that knew exactly what I was going through, to help me along the way,” Lambert said. “I want to be a hundred-percent confident in playing, and will do whatever it takes to achieve this goal.”

Following the accident, teammate Kelly Moran, who was riding on the backseat of the moped and suffered lacerations and torn ligaments on her right leg, was quick to point out Lambert’s toughness. 

“If there is anyone who can create something positive out of this, it will be Noelle,” Moran said.

“It felt great to start running again,” Lambert said. “Never once, did someone tell me I wouldn’t be able to play again.”