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At the age of 14, a medical condition changed the life of Moose Jaw woman Lisa Franks forever.
“(I) pretty much just woke up one day and I was paralyzed, and went through the rehab process. A cluster of blood vessels had burst in my spine and that caused paralysis,” she said.
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“I went through the Wascana Rehabilitation Centre in Regina, came out as a wheelchair user, got the use of my arms back, and then got involved in sport pretty much right out of the hospital.”
While in the hospital, Franks had met with Paralympian Clayton Gerein, and said the swimmer and wheelchair athlete played a pivotal role in guiding her towards sports, and in particular, wheelchair racing.
In Paralympic Games from Sydney in 2000 to Athens in 2004, Franks made her mark, winning six gold medals, and setting records in the 100 metre, 200 metre, 400 metre, 800 metre 1,500 metre and 5,000 metre wheelchair racing events.
“I was really fortunate to meet some great mentors who helped me excel in wheelchair racing and then eventually basketball,” Franks said.
Franks, who was inducted into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame in 2018, also played basketball for Team Saskatchewan and Team Canada, which won gold at the Wheelchair Basketball World Championships in Netherlands in 2006.
She loved competing, then her life took another unexpected twist.
“I ended up with a career-ending shoulder injury, and went through years of chronic pain, and all the things that come with that,” Franks said.
“What I take from that is just that you can get through anything, and even when you’re at the lowest and things seem so bleak, there’s always going to be that upswing that if you can get through that, life turns out pretty incredible.”
Lisa Franks uses an adaptive mountain bike to explore trails around the world. (Submitted)
Despite facing formidable challenges, Franks continues to have a positive outlook.
Now, she is enjoying the outdoor lifestyle, travelling in a camper van named “Mojo,” and doing activities like surfing, hiking and kayaking.
“I actually summited a mountain on my own on my mountain bike. It was Thomas Mountain in California. It was pretty wild to think that I always compare (that at) 14 years old I was lying in a hospital bed, I was completely paralyzed, and then (I was) at the top of a mountain. It’s pretty incredible how that whole journey took me along the way” she said.
Franks hopes that her story and journey will inspire others to go and continue the lives they want, and do everything they set their minds to.
— with files by CJME News
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