Regent Square basketball player in National Senior Games rebounds on and off the court
One of the fundamentals of basketball is rebounding.
It’s about working hard against an opponent to know where the ball might bounce so you are in the proper position to grab it.
Paula Franetti, 67, knows about rebounding on and off the court.
The Regent Square resident overcame a serious automobile accident to help her teammates win a gold medal Tuesday at the National Senior Games being held through Tuesday in Pittsburgh. The Steel City Quest defeated the Lady Cherokee’s 65 team from North Carolina, 36-22, at David L. Lawrence Convention Center, Downtown.
In basketball in the Senior Games, players compete in two, 15-minute halves. They play three-on-three half court.
“To be a good rebounder, you have to get in front of your opponent. You have to anticipate,” Franetti said. “Rebounding is not glamorous. The ball doesn’t always bounce where you think it will bounce, but that’s when you have to work harder to get it. That often parallels life.”
There was a time Franetti thought she might never rebound a basketball again.
On Sept. 13, 2016, she was on her way to work. As the light turned green on Jumonville Street, a few blocks from UPMC Mercy in Pittsburgh’s Uptown neighborhood, she put her foot on the gas. The next thing she remembers was a jolt to the driver’s side and then her car spinning, bouncing off a nearby house and stopping facing the wrong way.
She had seven pelvic fractures, five spinal fractures, a ruptured diaphragm, internal bleeding and a concussion.
“I thought I died,” she said.
On-lookers pulled her from the Honda CRV because it was leaking gasoline. She spent time in UPMC Mercy’s intensive care unit. She had multiple surgeries and spent weeks in a skilled nursing facility.
“The hardest thing is losing your independence,” she said. “There are things you have done your entire life and now you need to ask for help. It was so humbling.”
Health care specialists took care of the physical injuries, but there is also an emotional factor in recovery, she said. Being in shape helped her improve faster, as did her more than 30 years of experience as a rehabilitation specialist, exercise physiologist, health coach and personal trainer. She previously co-founded Orthocare Prosthetic and Orthotic Associates with Michael P Greene in Greensburg. (She lived in Crabtree and North Huntingdon).
Franetti created The Rebound Planner, a company that helps guide people from accident, injury or surgery through recovery coaching helps them rebound from tough times. Her toughest time inspired her to write “Driving Force: How One Woman Rebounded from Life-Altering Injuries and You Can Too.” There is a picture of a steering wheel on the cover.
“I can’t let anyone else take over the wheel,” she said. “I need to take myself where I want to go.”
Her story is one of Humana’s 26 athletes who have overcome the odds, “game changers.” Franetti, who participated in the opening ceremony July 8, talked about her experience at the Arnicare by Boiron booth, another sponsor of the games. It has a line of homeopathic medicines for relief of muscle aches and stiffness, swelling and discoloration from bruises. The products have made a difference for her, helping to alleviate pain.
“It’s about taking baby steps,” she said. “Some people think when facing a critical health change that their life is over, but it’s not. I have learned from this experience that everyone has an inner drive and desire to get better.”
She believes she survived to tell this story and invites everyone to come to the senior games and be inspired by the more than 10,000 athletes. Franetti isn’t finished yet. She was scheduled to compete in the 60-plus age group basketball tournament that started Friday. In the senior games, athletes can play down in age category.
“Her story is amazing,” said basketball coach Rob Cooper. “What a story of perseverance and recovery. Every player here has overcome challenges. Sports have a way of giving athletes a reason to train and something to look forward to. Paula is inspiring to me, to her teammates and to everyone she meets on and off the court.”
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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