Our History

In the summer of 1990 Robbie Vierra-Lambert played ice hockey for the California Jr. Kings and had his dreams set on playing for the United States Olympic team and the Los Angeles Kings. He graduated from Torrance High School in June and a month and ten days later was involved in a near fatal automobile accident which left him with no movement and no feeling from his shoulders to his toes. His doctor’s gave him a 5% chance of ever moving below his neck. Robbie told his doctors, "I’ll visit you when I’m walking!"

Sixty days later, Robbie’s insurance ran out and the insurance company tried to sentence Robbie to life in a nursing home. Robbie’s mom, CyCy, learned of this injustice and immediately went to different nursing homes to see how paralyzed individuals were treated. While visiting a nursing home, CyCy met Mr. Lau, a quadriplegic. Mr. Lau explained about the lack of care he was receiving; his last words to CyCy were, "Please don’t let this happen to anymore of our people!" Mr. Lau passed away the next evening knowing that his words helped to inspire CyCy to make a difference for paralyzed individuals.

After Mr. Lau’s passing, CyCy saw that a nursing home was not for paralyzed individuals and she knew it wasn’t for her son. Somehow, she found a way of avoiding her sons fate of sentencing to life in a nursing home and kept him in continued advanced physical therapy. As CyCy and Robbie saw the difference in Robbie’s recovery due to the avoidance of the nursing home and implement of continued therapies, they knew there had to be a change for ALL paralyzed individuals.

In March of 1991, RVL S.C.O.R.E. (Robbie Vierra-Lambert Spinal Cord Organization for Regaining Excellence) was founded to assist paralyzed individuals in their quest of regaining excellence and maintaining the highest level of independence.

In June of 1991, Robbie Vierra-Lambert walked 900 feet with braces and a walker as the torch bearer in the 1991 U.S. Olympic Festival torch run,