Mark Zupan
Bronze Medal Winner
Contact Zupan

 The short story!



Mark Zupan was born on May 20, 1975, in Cleveland, Ohio to Thomas and Linda Zupan.  His father an entrepreneur, and his mother a professional businesswoman provided a comfortable upbringing for Mark and his younger brother Jeff.

Mark excelled both in academics and sports, playing varsity high school football and soccer.  His soccer prowess earned him a scholarship to Florida Atlantic University (FAU).  Mark was not alone when he registered at FAU.   His best friend and football teammate, Chris Igoe also enrolled at FAU.  They shared a dorm and embarked on all that college had to offer; sports, girls, and all the good times they could muster.

Mark played on the varsity soccer team where he lived up to his scholarship billing.  On a cold wet Florida night on October 14, 1993, Mark and his team mates were celebrating at the college hangout, Dirty Moe's after trouncing a rival team.  Chris was more then a spectator; Chris was a participant in the celebration.

Dirty Moe's aptly named for its remote location and dimly lit parking lot was packed that evening.  Chris eventually went his own way to pursue other interests while Mark congregated with his team.  Nickel beers and dollar shots were a Dirty Moe's tradition, which was not lost on team.

Around midnight, Mark wandered out of the establishment and found refuge in the bed liner of Chris's black pickup truck.  Eventually Chris was asked to leave the premises and preceded home not knowing that Mark was nestled in the back of the truck. 

Highway I-95 is notorious, but never more so then that fateful night.  Chris's erratic driving was noticed by an off duty policemen and his girlfriend.  They proceeded to follow close behind him all the way to a fence post, which eventually claimed Chris's truck.

For several hours after the accident the trailing policemen, tow truck driver and Florida highway patrol hovered around the ill-fated truck.  No one saw Mark, including the policeman who had witnessed the accident.

For the next 14 hours, Mark's parents, friends, family and police thought the losing rival soccer team might have abducted Mark.  It wasn’t until a passerby discovered Mark clinging to a branch in a canal, that the truth came to be discovered.

Marks story is one of survival.

Mark's ordeal: surviving fourteen hours clinging to a branch for life, hypothermia and quadriplegia to become a Georgia Tech graduate, civil engineer, two time quad rugby national champion, 2004 quad rugby player of the year, world class Olympic quad rugby bronze medal winner, and spokesman for team USA all show what a positive mind can do.  His story will be told in a forth-coming book and in motivational speeches by Mark and Chris delivered to college and industry campuses across the country.

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