89 year-old participant defies odds at Santa Paws race
For 89 year-old Jim Franklin, Saturday’s Santa Paws 5K was a walk in the park.
Doctors told Franklin he’d never walk again after he was nearly killed by a car that struck him at a bus stop on Ramon road last November.
“He broke his right elbow, fractured his right knee and fractured his pelvis,” his daughter Anne said. “He just keeps plugging away.”
Franklin and his daughter describe the long recovery process as a “miracle.” As an avid runner and award-winning athlete, Franklin’s good health and track-record of healthy living made for a speedy recovery.
“Two doctors saw me and said if you hadn’t been in as good of physical shape as you are, you wouldn’t be here. That lady would have killed me,” Franklin said.
Saturday’s Santa Paws race benefits “Guide Dogs,” a local nonprofit that assists in pairing blind people or those with disabilities with trained guide dogs.
Jim Franklin’s miraculous recovery is a testament to the core values of Saturday’s race, showing dedication and perseverance over life’s unexpected and unforeseen hardships.
“I tell everybody, keep moving, you gotta keep going, you can’t sit down. Too many people get to a certain age, they retire, they quit… You can’t do that. You gotta keep moving,” Franklin said.
His message and hope is to inspire others as well as to participate in next year’s Palm Springs Tram Race. Franklin is also looking forward to turning 90 years-old next August.
The goal of Saturday’s Guide Dogs race was to raise $20,000 for the nonprofit. More than 600 Santas and dogs participated in the event.
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