Lisa Franks
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Canada |
| Born | 6 April 1982 Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan |
| Height | 172 cm (5 ft 8 in) |
Lisa Franks (born 6 April 1982) is a Canadian paralympic athlete from competing mainly in category T52 wheelchair sprint events. Throughout her wheelchair racing career she set world records in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m, and marathon events.
Career
[edit]Lisa has won six paralympic gold medals. In the 2000 Summer Paralympics she won gold medals in the 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m and a silver medal in the 100m. In 2004 she defended her 200m and 400m titles. She was coached by Clayton Gerein who was a Paralympic medallist in wheelchair racing. The two were introduced by Gerein's wife who was Lisa's physiotherapist.[1]
In readiness for the 2008 Summer Paralympics Lisa had taken up wheelchair basketball and was a part of the Canadian team that finished fifth.[2]
Personal life
[edit]On April 18, 1996, just after Frank's fourteenth birthday, she woke up in the middle of the night unable to move her legs. By the end of that day she had lost function of her arms as well, though she regained use of those after rehabilitation. Franks was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation, a condition that caused clusters of blood vessels to prevent blood from properly passing by her spinal cord.[3]
She graduated from the University of Saskatchewan in 2006 with a Bachelor of Engineering and a focus in mechanical engineering.[4]
She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Regina in 2009.[5] and appointed as an Honorary Colonel in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 2019.[6]
She currently lives in a campervan and documents her Vanlife and surfing adventures on her YouTube channel Keepinitwheel306.
References
[edit]- ^ "Gerein Remains an Inspiration After Death". Canadian Paralympic Committee. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
- ^ "Lisa Franks". Canadian Paralympic Committee. Retrieved June 23, 2014.
- ^ U of S engineering graduate and three-time paralympian brings success story
- ^ Lisa Franks: Mechanical Engineer[permanent dead link]
- ^ Paralympic medallist speaks to new grads
- ^ No challenge too great for Paralympian Lisa Franks
- 1982 births
- Paralympic track and field athletes for Canada
- Paralympic wheelchair basketball players for Canada
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
- Athletes (track and field) at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
- Wheelchair basketball players at the 2008 Summer Paralympics
- Sportspeople from Moose Jaw
- Paralympic gold medalists for Canada
- Paralympic silver medalists for Canada
- Living people
- People with paraplegia
- Canadian female wheelchair racers
- Paralympic wheelchair racers
- Medalists at the 2000 Summer Paralympics
- Medalists at the 2004 Summer Paralympics
- Paralympic medalists in athletics (track and field)
- University of Saskatchewan alumni
- 21st-century Canadian sportswomen