If he could have his legs back for an hour, on a Sunday afternoon just like this one, Zupan would spend it playing a couple rounds of golf with his dad and younger brother. ''That'd be pretty cool,'' he says, smiling at the idea. 'Yeah, I'd like that. But it's not going to happen.'' He gets some raised eyebrows when he tells folks that breaking his neck was the best thing that ever happened to him. He doesn't really care if you believe him or not. ''I've done more in the chair than a lot of people have who aren't in chairs. How many people do you know who have an Olympic medal? I've been to countries that I never would have f---ing been to, I've met so many people, done so many things.''

When he dreams at night, he sometimes forgets that he's a quadriplegic. ''It's kind of interesting. Like I'll be running, and the chair is alongside me. That's a fun one. Or I'll be walking up a flight of stairs and think — wait a second! I can't walk. So I go down the stairs, pick up my wheelchair, and take it back up with me to the top.''

Originally posted Jul 01, 2005 Published in issue #828 Jul 08, 2005 Order article reprints
Page 1 2 3 4
You Might Also Like

Add your comment

The rules: Keep it clean, and stay on the subject or we might delete your comment. If you see inappropriate language, e-mail us. An asterisk * indicates a required field.

500 characters remaining