Roots, Wings and Murphy's Law

By Cheryl Hart

This time of year, when we bow our heads in thanksgiving, one of the blessings for which we give thanks, is our family.

Certainly, my neighbors, the Murphys, exemplify family loyalty and connectedness in the way they took on the Ironman Wisconsin Triathlon (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run).

As always, Pat and Paola Murphy supported their 22-year old son Sean and 26-year old daughter Monica. They seem to live by the philosophy that “There are two things we can give our children, one is roots, and the other is wings.”

I witnessed this love and commitment the first time I met Pat Murphy and heard the pride in his voice when he spoke of the family. I watched from my kitchen window as they finished long runs, loaded bikes in the car, and offered pre-dawn encouragement before races.

They would need each other more than ever on Sept. 10, 2006. Race day brought strong wind, choppy water and a cold, unrelenting rain.

“I would never have been able to do it without the support of my family,” admits Monica. “The journey up to the race was long and hard and required so much determination that it would be easy to burn out. But every day my parents asked how training was coming and Sean kept me motivated by always pushing me beyond my limits.”

In fact, it was Sean's idea to do an Ironman. But when Monica heard about it, she, of course, had to do it, too. As the only daughter, she developed a competitive spirit. “I could never accept being the ‘girl' or underdog compared to my brothers so growing up I would train to compete at their level,” she recalls. “I even practiced with my younger brother Christopher's competitive soccer team when I wanted to become a stronger player.”

Those seeds of physical and mental strength that had been rooted in early childhood would be needed now.

“After a few hours on the bike, it became clear just how much of a mental game this race would be. I couldn't feel my fingers or toes because of the rain and wind,” she reflected. “There were many times when I seriously reconsidered what I was even doing out there but then I thought about my brother and how he's not a quitter and also my parents who were enduring the same misery with the weather conditions.”

Sean insisted that their support team deserved special medals for stamina and perseverance.

“We had a posse of a support crew — my mom, dad, fiancé, her parents, my cousin, her husband, and some good friends,” he recalled. “They endured the conditions the whole day, cheering us on. Every time I saw them I could go another couple miles just thinking about all of them before realizing the distance I'd covered.”

But it's tough to go far with a flat. And Sean had three in a row, finally discovering glass in the tire.

The 1942 Murphy's Law stating, “if anything can go wrong, it will” was in full effect with Wisconsin's chilling wind, rain, choppy water, a missing nutrition bag, and flats.

But the Murphys next door have their own family law that responds defiantly, “If we support and believe in one another, anything is possible — no matter what.” They were put to the test. It became a family effort to reach the finish — to reach the goal of becoming Ironmen.

Their mother, Paola, witnessed the heartbreak of some athletes who were disqualified when they missed a cut-off time. So she knew how crucial it was for Sean to make up lost bike time so he could begin the run. He made it in with four minutes to spare, but paid the price.

He had pushed so hard that he retreated to the transition tent drained, dehydrated and shaking from the wet cold. His fiancé' wrapped him in warm blankets and told him how proud she was of him. After resting and refueling, Katie helped him up and out into the rain and they began to walk. After walking the first 6 miles together, she left him with her cell phone to carry in his pocket so he could stay connected to the family.

“They could call and check on me to make sure I was okay and offer words of encouragement. It became more than just a race, and more about the special bond that my sister and I share together and the support of our families. ”

Monica was 4 miles from the finish when she heard Sean was struggling and probably wouldn't make it.

“At that point, I didn't even care about finishing but wanted to go out to find him, see if he was okay and bring him in,” she said.

But Monica did finish, crossing in 13:34, to learn that Sean was again running. He'd used the cell phone to ask his cousin to calculate the run pace he needed to hold to make the cut-off.

“ I was overcome with emotion,” Monica remembers. “I knew he would find inside of him what I had found and persevere. It takes a strong individual to be put through what he had and continue on. Watching him finish is by far my best and most memorable Ironman experience. This experience has changed me forever. I went in this race prepared for a physical challenge, but was tested much more mentally and emotionally.”

At 11:33 p.m., 16 hours and 41 minutes after he started, Sean ran under the finish banner illuminated in the darkness.

“I can't explain the lessons I learned on Sept. 10th, but the experience was so much more than just a physical test of endurance,” said Monica. “I discovered things about myself I never knew existed and have gained a deeper respect for Sean and my whole family.”

Cheryl Hart, owner of 2 nd Wind Motivation, helps individuals, teams and corporations establish and achieve goals. She is a motivational speaker, performance enhancement consultant and certified fitness specialist and is currently pursuing a masters in sports psychology. Cheryl is also a marathoner and All-American triathlete and duathlete, competing internationally on Team USA. To contact Cheryl call 693-7443, e-mail offrunnin@yahoo.com or visit www.2ndWindMotivation.com