Meet Vinny

After graduating cum laude from UMass Lowell in 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, Vinny was determined to continue using her athletic abilities and tried out for the U.S. Paralympic team to compete in the 100-meter in Track and Field, a sport in which she had never competed. In the fall of 2019, Vinny made the team and broke the U.S. women’s record at the World Para Athletics Championship in Dubai. When the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo were postponed due to Covid, Vinny continued training to prepare herself for the return of the games in 2021. In Tokyo, she placed 6th in the 100M and also broke her own American record.
Vinny says her accident is the best thing that ever happened to her as she is able to help others by sharing her experience. She is determined to spread the message of hope, determination and perseverance through The Born to Run Foundation and through speaking opportunities.

Vinny is a recipient of the Myra Kraft Community MVP Award, the Wilma Rudolph Student Athlete Achievement Award, the New England Women’s Leadership Award by the Boys and Girls Club of Dorchester, Mass., and was honored by the Boston Celtics as a “Hero Among Us” for her commitment to helping others, and received the L’Oreal Women of Worth Award for her charitable work in her community. Vinny resides in Manchester, New Hampshire.

Vinny Fischer is a para-athlete and founder of The Born to Run Foundation. Vinny lost her left leg in a moped accident in 2016 during a summer trip to Martha’s Vineyard. At the time, she was a student at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and played Division 1 lacrosse on UMass Lowell’s women’s lacrosse team, the Riverhawks. During the rehabilitation from her injury, she learned that many young amputees do not have the financial resources to obtain specialty prostheses, otherwise known as artificial limbs that promote running, swimming or other sports. If you want to find out more about The Born to Run Foundation, Click here. Vinny was determined to help other young amputees lead fulfilling and active lives. This led to her starting the Foundation to provide athletic prostheses to young amputees. Vinny also returned to UMass Lowell and rejoined the Riverhawks, scoring a goal on her first game back with the team.

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