Lisa Franks' life motto has been, "Turn your obstacles into opportunities and keep a positive attitude," which goes hand-in-hand with her new role.

Franks, who was born and raised in Moose Jaw, has been named the Honorary Colonel for 15 Wing Moose Jaw, taking over the position from Bert Olson, who held the role for four years.

"I can't really put into words how much it means to me, to have the faith of 15 Wing in me that I’ll be a good representative of them and be that bridge between the community and airforce is something that I really take to heart," Franks told DiscoverMooseJaw.com.

"I was shocked [after initially hearing about the honour]," she continued, "I still question why they chose me, I don't have any ties to the air force, but there are ties between what I went through in sports and what it means to be in the Air Force."

Franks suffers from a rare condition known as arteriovenous malformation, which caused her to become paralyzed from the waist down in high school. She didn't let that stop her, eventually winning six gold medals and a silver medal during two appearances at the Paralympic Games in 2000 and 2004 in track and basketball.

Her playing career ended in 2010 which was followed by an induction into the Moose Jaw and District Sports Hall of Fame.

The perseverance that Franks showed during her career is what made 15 Wing commander Colonel Denis O'Reilly feel that she is a perfect fit for the role of Honorary Colonel.

"Lisa Franks' strength of character and determination to achieve excellence are perfectly paired with the high requirements of military aviation,” Colonel O'Reilly said in a media release. “We are very happy to welcome her to the 15 Wing family.”

Franks is excited to dive into her new role and help strengthen the connection between the base and the community.

"I grew up in Moose Jaw and I've done the tour at the base in elementary school but I didn't really have any idea about the history and what the military does in general."

"The biggest thing that I was surprised at after having a few visits at the Air Force is my perception of what it meant to be in the Air Force has changed, I thought it would be stuffy and everyone would be very regimented and I want to be able to let people know that they're just people that are passionate about their job."

A part of being the Honorary Colonel also means sporting a uniform at ceremonies, which is something that Franks is excited about.

"It's quite a sharp looking uniform and I feel a lot of pride anytime I put it on just to have the Canadian flag on the armband and knowing the people that have put that on and sacrificed, so it's quite an honour and I don’t know if I'll get used to it," said Franks.

Franks currently resides in Saskatoon and works as a mechanical engineer.