When Mark Zupan was 18, he passed out after a night of drinking in the back of his best friend's pickup truck. His buddy, also drunk, got into an accident, launching Zupan into a nearby canal. After nearly 14 hours of hanging on for dear life, Zupan was rescued but suffered a broken neck and was unable to walk again.

Shaken but not defeated, Zupan completed a successful rehab, then found the sport that changed his life: Quad rugby. He eventually became part of the Paralympics team that took the bronze medal at the Athens Olympics. The game is like regular rugby except players slam into each other with ridiculous force while riding in wheelchairs that look like something out of "Mad Max."

It's just the way Zupan likes the sport that attracted him with its nickname, "Murderball," which is the name of the new documentary about quad rugby players that took two prizes at Sundance. While in Los Angeles to promote the film, which opens in limited release August 8, Zupan took the time to talk to Page 3 about his love of sports and what it's like to be on camera 24/7.

1. How athletic were you before your accident?

Mark Zupan: The reason I'm alive is because of college soccer (at Florida Atlantic), because I was in such good shape. I played soccer, football and I dug golf. But playing college soccer was going to be the top of my athletic feats. I wasn't going to the Olympics. I was a decent player, but it's because of hard work not because I was Freddy Adu. I wouldn't have a medal from the Olympics, if I wasn't in a chair. I wouldn't have gone to the Olympics and experienced the whole atmosphere.

2. Do people ever pigeonhole you as a "disabled athlete?" Or a "wheelchair athlete?"

Zupan: Yeah, because people don't know. People aren't familiar with wheelchair sports. The only film crew in Athens for the Paralympics was the documentary crew.

Many people will be surprised that you play rugby and it was surprising watching you swim in the movie. What other activities can you do that also might surprise people?

Zupan: Push a marathon. Tennis. Golf. You name it. Waterskiing -- you sit in a cage on top of a wakeboard. On snow, you're kind of sitting in a bucket, and you're just on one racing ski, without riggers. You're controlling it by balance. It's kind of like a race-car bucket. Go to usparalympics.com and you'll see a bunch of adapted stuff. There's pretty much everything. Anything you haven't done yet that you want to do?

Zupan: Downhill biking. You get towed up the hill and then it's pretty much a free-flow down.

3. How do you react to people who say that you're inspirational? Do you like it? Does it ever feel embarrassing or even condescending?

Zupan: A little of everything. It's cool. If I can be an inspiration for someone, that's fine, but just don't look down on me. Don't say, "Oh, you're in a wheelchair."

Well, so what? What am I gonna do? You can't just sit there in the house and not do anything. Sometimes we are inspirational, but look at me for the whole thing. I think it's cool, because I think the film hits everything, not just people in chairs. It's like, "You know what? Life will go on." You get dealt a (bad) hand, but you still gotta play it.

Does the hand you were dealt feel bad to you now?

Zupan: No. It's the best thing that ever happened to me. I wouldn't trade this for anything. There wouldn't be a film. I wouldn't have met people. I wouldn't have been to the places I've been and seen things. I wouldn't have a medal from the Paralympics. I might not be with my girlfriend. There's a reason this thing happened.

And who inspires you?

Zupan: Well, it depends. You have sports figures and see work ethic. Michael Jordan. Walter Payton. Barry Sanders. They were best at what they did because they worked at it. And they were just very, very talented. And my mom and dad. My mom's a cool chick. We have such a great, straightforward, down-to-Earth relationship.

4. Describe the process of making "Murderball."

Zupan: I'm not going to lie to you. The first time, it was weird to be like, "There's a camera there." But I was pretty comfortable throughout the whole thing. Of course, there are times when you didn't want to be filmed. And the director said, "We're going to roll until you say not to." And we never said it, but they knew sometimes, we didn't. They said the hardest time to film me was before a game, because I'm concentrating to get ready. It's like, "How do you feel before a game?" "(Expletive) you! I'm doing this!"

They have a montage of me flipping them off, and it's always before a game. But exposing yourself and letting people in, I think it helps with defining who we are. Defining my life. This isn't just a sports story. It's a life story.

What is the central message you hope people take from the movie?

Zupan: Every misconception you've ever had about people in a chair, I think this film nails it. Look, I'm a normal person. I like to have sex. I like to go out, hang out. Don't be scared because we're in a chair. It's just a wheelchair. We may be a little twisted, but no more than the average person. 5. What was it like seeing "Murderball" for the first time?

Zupan: To see reactions from other people is so much fun. To sit in a back corner and watch how people laugh, cry, react to certain things, makes it so much fun.

Were you surprised at being such a central character or was that a plan from the outset?

Zupan: I think it developed as it went. What they've said is I was so candid and so open that it made it easy to film. How I am on camera, that's how I am. There were no artistic liberties. That's me. That's how I am. Any unexpected perks as a result of the movie and fame?

Zupan: We filmed an episode of "Jackass." Who would have ever thought that was going to happen? Not me! It was fun. You're sitting there watching "Jackass," saying, "Man, I wish I could do that!" We thought about (throwing me in the shopping cart), but apparently that's Bam's deal. We did the black-eye game, Steve-O and I. Cattle-prod wheelchair jousting. Just think about that! They were like, "Guys, this is on the dark side of the gray thing, so we don't even know if we can show it." That's how sick it was. Wheelchair long jump. Knoxville was pushing me over a ramp, launching me over Steve-O into a pool. 6. In the movie, your dislike of former American Quad Rugby player Joe Soares, who became coach of the Canadian team, is well documented. At the end of the film, it's mentioned that Soares was applying to become the U.S. coach. Would you have a problem playing for him?

Zupan: Joe and I don't get along. I think he's a [jerk] and he knows I think he's a [jerk]. And that's fine. It's pretty cool that he understands that. You get cut from a team, you don't sue and say, "Yes, I'm a part of this team." You got cut. I'm sorry. I got cut from that same team. Did I go to the board and say, "I should be on this team?" No. You take it, train your butt off and get on the next team. Which is what happened.

7. You represented your country in the Olympics. Do you feel a heightened sense of patriotism than before your accident? Or is this a mindset and passion you've always had?

Zupan: You realize it when you get the opportunity. It's a pretty big honor. And you don't realize it (before), because it may seem foreign, being on a national team. We are the best this country has. It's pretty cool.

Had you been a pretty big fan of the Olympics before your involvement?

Zupan: You always watch. Old-school basketball, with Jordan and Barkley, that was always cool. Track and field always interested me. Swimming was always wild. I dig pretty much anything that has to do with sports. And now I'm a part of it.

8. How does the training for a paralympian compare to that of an able bodied athlete?

Zupan: I think it's pretty similar. The only difference is, I work a 50-hour a week job as a civil engineer.

9. The scenes in the film where you introduce the game to other disabled athletes are some of the most poignant. Is that role important for you, as both an ambassador/spokesman of the sport and as a Team USA spokesperson?

Zupan: Oh yeah. The more people that we can expose to it, the better. You need new athletes in there to make the old ones better.

Do you consider yourself a mentor to the younger athletes?

Zupan:I would think so. I guess I would be considered one of the savvy veterans, if you will. I'm going to be very tough on them, because that's how it is. You don't get an easy ride. I'm going to give you hell, but make you better for it. I think it works that way.

10. If there's any advice you could give to someone looking to overcome a situation, not even like yours, but anything, what would you say?

Zupan: Focus on what you want to do. Don't be scared to try stuff. You only live once. Get your mind towards what you want to do and you'll achieve it. It makes it fun. You gotta take risks at times. Risks pay off.