Every Memorial Day, athletes, gym rats, and those looking for a way to honor fallen soldiers participate in The Murph Challenge, a brutal workout created in honor of Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a U.S. Navy SEAL killed in Afghanistan, June 28, 2005.
According to themurphchallenge.com, Murphy was in charge of a four-man SEAL team and risked his own life to save his teammates. He and his group were in a protected area, but he was unable to make an urgent phone call for help. So Murphy “knowingly exposed himself to increased enemy gunfire,” making him a target. He was finally able to make contact and request help, but he was shot in the back, and died soon after.
Murphy was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor on Oct. 27, 2007, according to the website, and his sacrifice and memory are honored through The Murph Challenge.
The challenge serves as the official annual fundraiser for the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Foundation, which has raised more than $2 million since 2014.
What is The Murph Challenge?
The Murph Challenge tests physical, mental and emotional strength, according to the website.
During the challenge, men usually wear a 20-pound weighted vest, while women usually wear a 14-pound weighted vest, according to the website. But participants aren’t required to wear the vests; they just compete in different categories. The exercises consist of:
- A 1-mile run.
- 100 pull-ups.
- 200 push-ups.
- 300 air squats.
- A final 1-mile run.
“Participants are pushed to their limits and are encouraged to keep pushing through the pain and exhaustion, just as Lt. Murphy did during his final moments. The event is held annually on Memorial Day, and people from all over the world come together to honor Lt. Murphy and all those who have given their lives in service to our country,” the website states. “The Murph Challenge is a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by our military and a testament to the strength and resilience of the human spirit.”
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: The Murph Challenge tests Port Orange gym members. What’s behind it?