GIMP

Mark Zupan was a college soccer star, out drinking one night with friends. Tired from the game and from a few too many beers, he decided to take a nap in the back of his best friend's pickup truck. Still asleep when the pickup started and drove away, he was suddenly jolted awake when the truck crashed. Mark was thrown into a canal and stuck for fourteen hours. When he was finally rescued, Mark discovered the terrible truth—he'd broken his neck and was likely a quadriplegic, facing life in a wheelchair and only limited use of all four limbs.

At first Mark's only goal was to walk again, and when that proved impossible he fell into a terrible despair, furious with himself and increasingly bitter. But through love, friendship, and an introduction to a new sport, Mark has gone on to create an existence that's truly exceptional. Now a Paralymic athlete (playing Quad Rubgy, aka ''murderball''), Mark's memoir explains that in a way getting hurt was the best thing that ever could have happened to him. Inspiring, defiant, and revealing, GIMP will appeal not only to fans of Murderball, but also to anyone ready to be motivated by a story about triumphing over the odds.

Read by Mark Zupan