As an earth scientist at NASA, Shannon Franks tackles some of our planet’s most difficult scientific questions. He brings that same approach to his personal life: confronting challenges head-on to find solutions.
Franks to the Fullest
Franks, 43, has always lived the most well-rounded life he can. But, the College Park, Maryland, resident’s idea of “well-rounded” might be a little different than most people’s.
After rehabbing his T2 SCI in 1996, he returned to school at Northland College in Northern Wisconsin, one mile from the shores of Lake Superior, despite the region’s harsh weather and lackluster accessibility. But before doing that, he drove across America for a month — alone.
“That was tough, but it gave me the confidence I needed to know I could still be the person I was before my injury,” says Franks. “I’ve never been the type of person who takes the easy way out.” He credits his confidence for his ability to achieve great things.
The New Jersey native still competes in many of the same sports he did before his injury. He is a competitive rower and wheelchair racer who also takes multi-day skiing, kayaking and handcycling trips. And when he’s not outdoors, he’s conducting remote sensing studies for NASA’s Landsat satellite program, which monitors Earth’s environmental changes. And if that’s not enough, he is a successful inventor with numerous adaptive products under his belt, including Wheelchair Buddies — a mechanism for attaching your wheelchair to a handcycle so it can be brought to places like work or a friend’s house, or on a cycling trip.
He’s also a person who can look at a problem and innately realize how to solve it. For example, Franks and his wife built a log cabin in the Appalachian Mountains that had a second floor Franks couldn’t get to. That is, until he applied some old rappelling knowledge.
“I created a pulley system where I could get to the second floor of my cabin using rock climbing equipment. My wife was like, ‘I knew that was going to bother you, and I knew you’d figure it out’,” says Franks. “And I did.”
When it comes to problem solving, Franks always zigs when everyone else zags. He knows of no other way to be.
“I’m a scientist. My job is to solve problems. The stuff that I do, there’s generally no set rules on how to do it. That’s what research is — learning how to do things that are not established,” says Franks. “In my daily life, I always have to figure things out. The pulley system wasn’t my first idea. I had to try a few different ways to figure out the best way to do it, but I’m not a quitter.”
The inspiration for Wheelchair Buddies is testament to that approach. Franks needed to figure out how to bring his wheelchair on his handcycle, so he invented a mechanism that allowed him to do that. With that setup, he handcycled through the mountains of both Big Sur and New Zealand. He quickly learned there was a demand for such a product. “I just thought I could teach people how to make it, and then I realized maybe not everybody is as mechanical as I am,” he says. “I grew up in a blue-collar family with a father who was a mechanic, so doing things with my hands is not necessarily a challenge. I just did it.”
Stranded On Robinson Crusoe Island
Though Shannon Franks is the type of guy who could escape Alcatraz with a spoon, sometimes that confidence and ingenuity gets him in trouble — like the time he was stranded on an island off the coast of Fiji.
“Me being the person I am said, ‘You know what would be cool to do in Fiji? Maybe I’ll go to a small Island off the coast.’ I did this, and I have no idea why. It’s called Robinson Crusoe island and … it’s all sand!
I don’t know what I was thinking. I got — well, I don’t want to say stuck — but I was on this island for two or three days. I couldn’t get around anywhere. I had to be carried around by these Fijian men who kept giving me these alcoholic drinks, and I slept in a hut.
So, I get myself in these situations because I just live my life. It’s gotten me to a lot of places, and it’s gotten me a lot of funny stories too.“
Wheelchair of Choice and Why:
I have a TiLite. I use it because I can beat it to hell and it doesn’t break.
Favorite Adaptive Technology:
Something that lets me easily get on the beach. Beach chairs mean you can’t push yourself, and you must pre-arrange them. They’re kind of ridiculous.
Where’s the Most Accessible Vacation Spot You’ve Been:
I would say New Zealand. Not only is it accessible infrastructure-wise, but it is one of the most progressive countries, relating to thought.
Why I Joined United Spinal:
I belong to many disability organizations, but most of them are athletic. Maybe United Spinal will get me in touch with people who have other like interests.
** This post was originally published on https://www.newmobility.com/2020/08/nasa-scientist-shannon-franks/
