Memorial Day fitness challenge honors fallen Navy SEAL
The Murph is an annual Memorial Day fitness challenge that honors the memory of U.S. Navy SEAL Lt. Micheal Murphy, a Medal of Honor recipient who was killed in action while serving in Afghanistan in 2005. Participants from across the country go through the grueling workout that 'Murph' preferred while he served. Photo courtesy of Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation
Granite Shoals hosts The Murph Challenge on Memorial Day 2024. The fitness event tests participants physically and mentally with a series of grueling workouts preferred by U.S. Navy SEAL Lt. Michael P. “Murph” Murphy, a Medal of Honor recipient who was killed in action in Afghanistan in 2005.
Funds from The Murph go toward student scholarships supported by the fallen SEAL’s foundation.
The Granite Shoals Murph Challenge begins at 10 a.m. Monday, May 27, at Quarry Park, 2221 N. Phillips Ranch Road. Everyone is welcome to participate. The Granite Shoals Police Officers Association and Fire Auxiliary encourages first responders from across Burnet and Llano counties to join in. Register online and enter “Granite Shoals POA/Fire Auxiliary” in the gym affiliation section.
Participation is $35 for standard entry, which includes a Murph 2024 T-shirt or tank top, or $60 for a shirt, hat, and sticker.
The Murph Challenge is simple and brutal. Competitors must complete the following workouts in order, with no time limit, wearing a 20-pound vest or body armor:
- one-mile run
- 100 pull-ups
- 200 push-ups
- 300 squats
- one-mile run
“We’re not trying to set records here. We’re trying to have some fun, build some camaraderie, and raise some money for a good cause,” Granite Shoals Police Department Detective Nick Chavis told DailyTrib.com.
Chavis is a U.S. Navy veteran who joined the GSPD in March. He helped organize Granite Shoals challenge and hopes for a big turnout. He has trained law enforcement and military units in medical trauma response using the skills he picked up as a Navy corpsman.
Chavis said he’s always been inspired by the SEALs and has personally participated in at least 15 of The Murph challenges.
MEDAL OF HONOR ACTIONS
Lt. Michael Murphy was killed in a savage firefight in Afghanistan in 2005 while he and three other SEALs were conducting a reconnaissance mission in a remote, mountainous region of the country. Murphy was reportedly mortally wounded when he entered the field of fire to communicate with allied forces and request an extraction.
In a tragic turn, the 16-man rescue force was killed by rocket fire while approaching by helicopter. Three of the SEALs on the ground, including Murphy, were killed amid the fight. The sole survivor of the battle, U.S. Navy SEAL Marcus Luttrell, managed to escape on foot. He was taken in by friendly locals and eventually rescued by allied forces. Murphy posthumously received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the battle.