Web Site for the Official Student Newspaper of Normandale Community College in Bloomington, Minnesota 'Murderball' star brings inspiration to NCC By Ashley Reid Mark Zupan, star of Murderball and Paralympic bronze medal winner, spoke to NCC students March 7 about his life changing experiences. “This is quite frankly the best thing that could have happened to me,” Zupan said of his paralysis. He became a quadriplegic at the age of 18 after being thrown from the bed of his best friend’s truck. His friend, Christopher Igoe, was unaware Zupan had passed out in his truck earlier. When Igoe’s vehicle crashed, Zupan’s body was thrown into a canal where he remained for 14 hours until a stranger heard his cries for help. Following the accident, Zupan had immediate surgery on his neck, endured 3 months of in-patient treatment and years of rehabilitation. Zupan said he was “angry at the world” and “felt like an 18 year old in an infant’s body” after his injuries. However, he has now found a lot of appreciation for his life as a star in film and rugby. At the presentation, he told students and staff that being wheelchair bound has exposed him to many people he may have not had the opportunity to meet. Zupan also explained he has traveled a lot more in a chair than he had while still able-bodied. “What’s walking? It’s a mode of transportation,” he said. The documentary film Murderball followed Zupan, team captain, and his fellow teammates of the U.S. quad rugby team on their journey to the Paralympics. It won the documentary Audience Award in 2005 at the Sundance Film Festival. “You see true emotion on film. It sucked, but it made a good movie,” Zupan said of the movie’s insight into the life of quadriplegics. “It was great. We had a good turnout and a good response,” said NCC student Sydney Cohen about Zupan’s presentation. Cohen introduced the presentation on behalf of the NCC Program Board.