Off the track, Murphy is an experienced musician. He first picked up an instrument in the 7th grade, where he landed on the trombone. As the most ‘right-handed’ instrument he could find, Murphy was able to play despite nerve damage in his left arm. 

He pursued music in college, earning a music degree in trombone performance - even working as a musician for more than 10 years. Although work and training don’t leave much room currently for work in music, Murphy sees a future in which he will return to playing and teaching music. 

“All of that knowledge isn’t really doing anything right now, it’s sitting unused in my head,” Murphy laughed. “So I’d really like an opportunity to relay all of that experience and knowledge to people in the future again.” 

While some adjustments with the postponement of the Paralympics have been difficult, Murphy admits that for him personally, it is probably for the better. He’s been able to dedicate more time to training, with a focus on strength and conditioning. Murphy even built his own home gym in his garage while facilities and training centers were still closed. 

“I’ve actually found an enjoyment of conditioning that I didn’t know I had,” he laughed. “I’ve been taking a pretty deep dive into it, understanding it as a sport itself, rather than just a supplement to cycling.” 

He’s dedicated a lot of time to his gym - both in building his own platforms and setups, and in gaining understanding of lifting as a sport in and of itself. Murphy hopes that the extra focus on conditioning and training will pay off when competitions finally return. 

“I don’t want to say anything definitively and come off as arrogant, but I really think I’ve made a lot of progress. I’m going to turn some heads at the next international competition.”