Amelia Ditmar-Maggs, of Orono Maine, is a below the knee amputee who lost her right foot in a car accident in December 2019 when her car hit a patch of ice while driving home for the holidays. Noelle had the opportunity to present Amelia with her new running blade in March 2021 at the Ultimate Sports Academy in Manchester, NH. This running prosthesis will allow Amelia to start running and training.

Amelia says the running blade serves as a reminder for her to keep pushing. She also said that Noelle is truly an inspiring individual and she is thankful every time she puts on her blade and hopes that one day, she will be able to pay it forward. Amelia is a sophomore studying pre-med at Eastern Maine Community College.

Amelia’s running blade was made by Hanger Clinic. This is The Born To Run Foundation’s 12^th donation.

Kevin Herbert, of Marlton, NJ, was born without a portion of his right arm. From early childhood to about 23, Kevin played ice hockey. Today, he works out regularly and is a big advocate for adaptive athletes. Currently he is an amputee peer-to-peer visitor and a clinical services liaison for All Care Orthotics and Prosthetics.

Kevin’s story is inspiring and in December 2020 I was honored to have the opportunity to provide him with a prosthetic arm to continue his active lifestyle. During the event Kevin said, “Being blessed by receiving this workout arm through The Born To Run Foundation creates a brand new dynamic to working out. For me, it’s not just about the results’ it’s also about the journey and this creates a whole new one for me!”

Kevin’s prosthetic arm was made by All Care Orthotics. This was the Foundation’s 11^th donation.

David Hiler, of Brattleboro, VT, lost his left leg above the knee in January 2020 due to a malignant sarcoma isolated to his knee. He made the decision to amputate, which he says was the best solution for him if he wanted to continue to live an active and athletic life. David is the co-founder of Whetstone Station Restaurant and Brewery.

David’s story was inspiring, and in November 2020, I had the opportunity to present him with a running blade at the outdoor waterfront Bier Garten at Whetstone Station Restaurant and Brewery in Brattleboro, VT. David said that when he made the decision to have his leg amputated, not being able to run was a big issue for him. He also said receiving the running blade from The Born To Run Foundation and being able to get back on the road running again was crucial for him.

As the co-founder of Whetstone Brewery, David wanted to find a way to give back to the amputee community. He came up with the idea to have the Brewery create a special craft beer to support The Born To Run Foundation. The new “RUN” brew is a Blood Orange Gose: a tart, thirst-quenching ale made with sea salt and coriander, blended with the refreshing juice of blood oranges to make for a low ABV craft beer that can be crushed after a long run.

David’s running blade was made by Next Step Bionics & Prosthetics, Inc. This is The Born To Run Foundation’s 10^th donation.

Jack Berry, of Missoula, Montana, was diagnosed with osteosarcoma in 2018 which resulted in the amputation of his right leg. He spent months at the Jimmy Fund Clinic at Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston receiving treatment for the osteosarcoma. After he went back to Montana, he became active again with the use of his new artificial leg, but he needed a special water prosthesis to go swimming and participate in other water sports.

The Foundation was honored to have the opportunity to provide Jack with an artificial water leg in July 2020 so he could get back into the water and do the things he loves like swimming and surfing.

Jack’s artificial water leg was made by A Step Ahead in Burlington, MA. This was the Foundation’s 9^th donation.

Marshall Harkrider, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was a passenger in an ATV that turned over on his legs causing him to lose his right leg below the knee. Marshall is an avid golfer and soccer player. This swimming prosthesis donated by The Born to Run Foundation has inspired Marshall to be more active and has given him the ability to look forward to being a regular kid without worry at the pool, river or beach.

Marshall endured nine surgeries due to the accident which led to the below the knee amputation on his right foot. Prior to his accident he was an elite soccer player and athlete. With his new swimming foot Marshall will now be able to hike, wade, fish and swim and the pool or beach without having to use crutches or a wheelchair to get in and out of the water. He was able to return to the soccer field in January 2020, just seven months after his last surgery. Marshall’s story is captivating, and the foundation was more than happy to have the opportunity to provide him with a swimming foot in April 2020.

Marshalls water prosthesis was made by Victory Prosthetics & Orthotics. This was the Foundation’s 8^th donation.

Pictured left to right: Lauren Piccolino, A Step Ahead Prosthetics; Jack Feeney, Ryan’s brother; Shawn Feeney, Ryan’s father; Ryan Feeney, prosthesis recipient; Jill Feeney, Ryan’s mother; Noelle Lambert, Founder of The Born To Run Foundation; and Bob Emerson, A Step Ahead Prosthetics

Ryan Feeney of Melrose, MA, was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis 1 (NF1) and Tibial Dysplasia. After a rod surgery that failed, his parents decided just before his 2nd birthday to have his leg amputated below the knee to give him a life with no limits.

Ryan’s story was gripping, and in February 2020, I had the opportunity to present him with a running bade at his 4^th grade Melrose Recreational League basketball practice. Ryan’s mother Jill said they had been waiting for a running blade for years and never thought he would be able to keep up with his brothers and friends and now he can. Ryan added that his new leg has a lot of spring to it and will let him go faster. At the donation event, Ryan was able to test out his new leg with all his friends at his basketball practice. Now, Ryan is able to play soccer, basketball and tackle football. Ryan was 9 years old at the time of the donation.

Ryan’s running blade was made by A Step Ahead Prosthetics in Burlington, MA. This was the Foundation’s 7^th donation.

Melanie Waldman, of Egg Harbor Township, NJ, lost her right arm below her elbow after having an extreme allergic reaction to the medication heparin. She is a registered yoga teacher, a former Walt Disney World Cast member and an actress.

Melanie’s story was very captivating, and in November 2019, I had the opportunity to present her with a new recreational prosthetic arm during a yoga class that she led at The Leadership Studio in Atlantic City, NJ. Melanie said that receiving this donation from The Born to Run Foundation means that she now has faith that she can relearn how to do so many things that she  has struggled with in the past. She said what she loves most about the amputee and disability community is that they can somehow relate to one another through each other’s adversities and can share the same possibility to rise above. Melanie’s new recreational prosthetic arm has helped her teach her yoga class and live a more active life.

Melanie’s recreational prosthetic arm was made by All Care Prosthetics & Orthotics. This was the foundation’s 6^th donation.

Katie Joiner of Thompson, CT, was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma in her right tibia in May 2013 and decided to have an amputation to remove the tumor to have a better opportunity to continue to be active and play sports once she received a prosthesis.

As a fellow female athlete, Katie’s story was compelling, and we were able to donate a running blade to her on October 2019 at the first-ever “Born2Run Fall Ball Women’s Lacrosse Tournament” at UMass Lowell’s Wicker Blue Field. Katie said the new running blade would help her become even more active as she had been participating in basketball and other sports without a proper athletic prosthesis. At the time of the donation, Katie was an 18-year-old freshman at University of Hartford studying prosthetics and orthotics.

UMass Lowell’s Women’s Lacrosse Team hosted the tournament that benefited The Born to Run Foundation. The tournament featured five other lacrosse teams from Quinnipiac, UConn, UNH, Adelphi, and Dartmouth.

Katie’s running blade was made by Next Step Bionics & Prosthetics. This was the Foundation’s 5^th donation.

Josh’s story was very compelling, and in July 2019, I had the opportunity to present him with a running blade at West High School in Manchester, NH. Josh said that becoming an amputee was the hardest decision he has ever had to make. Before he became an amputee, it was difficult for Josh to do everyday activities and participate in sports. Since receiving his running blade, Josh has been able to live an active life. At the donation event, we tested out his new blade with special guest Henry Tripp, who was the Foundation’s third donor recipient, by taking a couple laps around the track. Josh already looked like a natural running on his new blade.

Josh’s running blade was made by Next Step Bionics & Prosthetics. This was the Foundation’s fourth donation. 

Since receiving the running blade, Henry has been able to get back into running and continue to be the active kid he was before his accident. Being able to provide young people, like Henry, with athletic prostheses has meant the world to me.

A month after receiving his running blade, Henry joined me at the West High School track in Manchester, NH to run a few laps for the Foundation’s fourth donation to Josh Beecher.

Henry’s running blade was made by Next Step Bionics & Prosthetics. This was the Foundation’s third donation.