Honor a Real American Hero with an Iconic Memorial Day Workout

Here we are looking at Memorial Day 2019 right around the corner and every year you have a chance to honor a real American hero with an iconic Memorial Day workout.

Although G.I. Joe's motto was "a real American hero" we're talking about a flesh and blood version- Michael P. Murphy.

The Backstory

Born May 7, 1976 in Smithtown, New York, Michael Murphy went on to become a lieutenant in the Navy SEALs. His training led him to become part of the SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) missions, eventually earning a commanding position of his own SDV team.

Murphy and his 3 comrades embarked on Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan. The mission was compromised and resulted in a harrowing firefight and all-out assault on the 4, isolated men.

You can read the details of the mission here, but you may know it better from Lone Survivor, the 2013 movie starring Mark Wahlberg, that loosely followed the true story.

Paying no heed for his own safety, Murphy sacrificed his life to save his team members. Michael Murphy died on June 28, 2005.

Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic deed.

The Man Died, and His Legend Lives

CrossFit immortalized Murphy by naming a Memorial Day WOD after him- "the Murph." Murphy created the grueling workout while deployed, calling it "Body Armor."

You can have a look at the workout specifics here along with some tips to help you get through it.

Every Memorial Day, athletes around the country gather to do the workout, honoring the fallen hero.

There's an official website for the workout, that features a leaderboard tracking competitors completing the workout for time.

Get Involved

There are numerous ways to get involved, namely by participating in The Murph at a location near you.

This year, the hero WOD is getting special, extra attention, thanks to Hollywood actor Chris Pratt asking people to heed the call of duty, and do The Murph.

If you're here in Austin, Texas, you can join our friends over at Atomic Athlete for their annual homage to Murphy. Find the details to join the workout here.

You can check out the official Murph website here to get any further details about the nationwide event.

Enjoy your Memorial Day commemorating Michael Murphy and all the best to all of you aiming to complete the "most dreaded workout in fitness."

Don't forget, all veterans and military members 15% off all in-store purchases here at Fringe Sport.