Waking up paralyzed when she was 14 years old didn't stop Moose Jaw's Lisa Franks from becoming a world class athlete. 

Her illustrious career, which was highlighted by six gold and one silver medal over three trips to the Paralympic Games will be honoured later this year as she was named one of the 2018 inductees into the Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame last week.

"The biggest thing is it's a time to reflect on my career," said Franks over the phone this week. "My career kind of ended abruptly, I had an injury, so I didn't get that farewell year where you know it's the end, so now to actually get this recognition and get a chance to thank the family, friends and organizations that helped me compete for so long, that’s the thing I appreciate the most is that chance to look back at it all."

Since the announcement on Friday, Franks has been going through scrapbooks and boxes of her accomplishments looking to items for the Hall of Fame. She said it's brought back a lot of great memories.

"It's been memories of my sporting career and also even back to the day and the time that I actually was paralyzed," she said. "It's just hitting me how much support I had in both that really trying time and then in that celebration in coming home from Sydney, there was a parade and things like that, so all those memories of all that support."

Franks was a member of the inaugural class of the Moose Jaw and District Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

Franks woke up unable to move her legs in 1996 and was diagnosed with arteriovenous malformation. After starring as a youth athlete, she kept her focus on sports after her unfortunate diagnosis.

She build to the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, Australia and she had a performance for the ages with gold medals in the 200-metre, 400m, 800m and 1500m. She would also collect a silver medal in the 100m.

Franks would return to the games in 2004 in Athens, Greece where she would defend her 200m and 400m titles.

At one point during her career, Franks held the world record in the 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, 1500m, 5000m and marathon events.

In addition to her exploits on the track, Franks also competed in the national wheelchair basketball championships in 1998-2000, 2002, 2005-08 and 2017, winning gold in 2006 with the Edmonton Inferno.

She went to the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, China with the Canadian national wheelchair basketball team and came home with a fifth place finish.

The long list of accomplishments wouldn't be possible if it weren't for the determination of Franks, who said that keeping her life as normal as possible after that life-changing moment really helped push her to the success down the road.

"Our family was so active, we were always outdoors doing things and one of the first things I asked when I was in the hospital was what sports can I play, can I get back to playing basketball, so that was the focus that I had and to be able to get back and do those things where I just felt like a normal teenager made things so much easier," said Franks.

"I'm a person that always wants to be challenged and always wants to do my best no matter what its at and so that was the mentality that I took with athletics. Luckily I had great mentors around me like my coach (Clayton Gerein), who knew the ins and outs and was a Paralympic athlete himself, so I had that good combination of my own drive, but also really great support on how to achieve success with a coach that was knowledgable as well."

Franks continues to marvel to this day as she set a new record in the wheelchair category of the Queen City Marathon in 2017 and is playing on the provincial wheelchair basketball team. 

Franks will be joined in this year's class by judo and wrestling athlete Kim Bergey Kaip, hockey player Johannes "Johnny" Gottselig, rodeo athlete Dick Nash and baseball player David Pagan. Robert Haver will go into the builder category for his contributions to rowing and the 1984 Randy Woytowich Mixed Curling Team will go in the team category.

The 51st Saskatchewan Sports Hall of Fame Induction Dinner and Ceremony will be held on Saturday, Sept. 29 at the Conexus Arts Centre.