As if conquering the volleyball court as a paraplegic were not enough, Tomball’s Josh Franklin is taking on his next challenge on the roadways.

Pictured, Tomball’s Josh Franklin, who had both of legs amputated after a June 2001 accident, will be participating in the 25^th BP MS 150 this weekend.

Franklin will be among thousands of other bicyclists who will be taking part in the 25^th BP MS 150 April 18-19. The annual trek to Austin is among the highest attended in the nation and helps raise money and awareness for Muscular Dystrophy.

“I’m just trying to help find a cure for MS and challenge myself,” Franklin said. “I wanted a new challenge in life and I researched, and as far as I know, no double amputee has ridden in the MS. I figure that would be pretty cool to do.”

Franklin lost both of his legs in a June 2001 accident while he was working for a local power company. Franklin was working on a set of wires on a pole he says had rotted out. A malfunction in the process sent 20,000 volts of electricity surging through Franklin’s body.

The accident resulted in the amputation of both of Franklin’s legs, who lived an active lifestyle before the incident. He was soon fitted for two prosthetic limbs and looked for ways to continue that lifestyle.

His first foray into sports after the procedure took him to the volleyball court as part of the United States Sitting Volleyball Team. The team came one victory away from qualifying for the Pan American Games, losing in the finals.

Franklin still is a member of the team as an outside hitter.

But these days, Franklin is training for 200-plus mile bike ride, and in the process working to raise awareness for others like him who feel they have to live a limited lifestyle.

“Anybody can do the MS 150,” Franklin said. “I’ve seen guys training on hand cycles. You can still compete at the highest caliber even though you are disabled. You can still be an elite athlete.”

Franklin is currently riding “about three or four days a week,” and began training for the ride in October. He said the challenge for him will be riding a normal bicycle with the use of a limited amount of leg muscles.

“A lot of people use their calf muscles, but I can only use quads and hamstrings,” he said. “And I will have to stop and dry them (the prosthesis) off. If they get wet, I can get sores and blisters.”

Another of Franklin’s challenges is the equipment he using. He says the bicycle he is currently training on is “about 20 years old.” Franklin is currently raising money to help purchase a new bicycle, as well as money to help fund his training.

An account as been established at Bank of America. For account information and to contact Franklin, e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

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