By Paul Conyers
Londonderry native, Noelle Lambert, is currently still suriviving as a contestant on the CBS show, “Survivor”. The long-running reality show is in its 43rd season and Lambert is the only granite state competitor.
Lambert was a three sport athlete at LHS and played Lacrosse at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. She currently lives in Manchester.
“My life has definitely prepared me for the game of Survivor,” stated a confident Lambert. “I was a standout player, I started every single game, I was a leading point scorer.”
However, Lambert’s lacrosse career was cut short after a Moped accident in 2016, during a visit to Martha’s Vineyard. The accident led to the loss of her left leg above the knee.
Despite the injury, Lambert returned to sports after a year, initially going back to lacrosse before trying track and field. Eventually, she worked up to the American team for the 2020 Paralympic games.
“I did not want to let the accident define my life and the rest of my life. I had tough moments, but I never wanted to show it, and that is my stubborn self. I was able to compete at the Tokyo Paralympic Games, and set a new record for the 100-meter for my classification group.” Lambert explained while outlining the recent highlights of her career.
Since the accident, Lambert has engaged in motivational speaking and later founded the Born to Run Foundation, a non-profit organization aimed at “providing specialized prosthetics to young adults and children,” according to their website. The site also claims that twenty-one prosthetic donations have been made so far.
Lambert has been described as “Granite Stater all the way” according to Townsquare Media’s Sean McKenna. He added that the first winner of Survivor Richard Hatch also “has NE roots”.
“I don’t want people to look at me and see that I’m broken, I want people to look at me and be inspired and motivated,” said Lambert. “I’m absolutely going to win; I’m going to be the first amputee to win the game of Survivor.” She is the third amputee to appear on the show overall.
Many viewers have already reacted well to Lambert, her story, and her performance in the initial episodes.
The current season of Survivor began Sept. 21, and Lambert has survived the first four eliminations.