This past November, Murphy took home three Golden Goggle awards at the ceremony that was held in New York City, which included the coveted awards for “Male Athlete of the Year” and “Male Race of the Year.” Those were great,” he admitted. “That event falls so much later than the actual summer. We train so hard so it’s nice to take a deep breath and go to an event like that where you can really see why you are doing the training. You can look back on the great moments that you are going to have when you get through that really tough stretch of training.”
“Growing up, one of the reasons I started swimming is because of the Olympic dream and watching people just be overcome with emotion after they’ve won gold medals for their country,” he said.
He went on to list seven-time Olympic medalist Aaron Peirsol as an influence on his growing up, especially in the men’s backstroke. “Aaron is somebody I idolized. He is an awesome guy,” he said. “Aaron has such an interesting perspective on everything,” he added.
Ever-gracious, Murphy thanked his family for all of their love and support, especially his parents and siblings. “My parents have been through it all with me. My parents are angels, my mom is the best person you could know. She is just an incredible woman and my dad is somebody I’ve always looked up to thanks to his hard work ethic. My brother is my best friend and my sister and I are super close,” he said.
A backstroke champion, Murphy also praised fellow swimmer and Olympic medalist Chase Kalisz for being a “great friend,” as well as somebody that he always looks forward to seeing at the swim meets. “Chase and I are super tight,” he said.
USA Swimming Foundation
Murphy also serves as an ambassador for the USA Swimming Foundation. “The USA Swimming Foundation is incredible. When I turned professional, I looked at a couple of different foundations and really got into figuring out what it is that I believe in and what would be a natural fit for me to promote. The USA Swimming Foundation checked all the boxes. I am super passionate about water safety and getting kids into activities,” he said.
“Sports have given me so much in my life and I view sports as a great teacher. Being with the USA Swimming Foundation has been incredibly fulfilling for me. I can’t wait to help the foundation grow and to continue to teach as many people as possible how to swim,” he said, prior to noting that drowning is the No. 1 cause of accidental death for children under the ages of 12 years old. “I am really happy with the trajectory of the foundation,” added.
Murphy also complimented fellow five-time Olympic medalist Josh Davis for doing a “great job” with his Breakout Swim Clinic. “Josh Davis is inspiring kids around the United States,” he said. “Josh is an incredible guy and a role model. He has such incredible energy. He has set the path in terms of how to inspire kids and you can see the passion that he brings to the job, and that’s inspiring to see.”
He described his coach, Dave Durden, as the “best coach in the country.” Durden was named by USA Swimming as the Men’s Head Coach of the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team. “He is a genius in terms of reading people and what motivates each individual person,” he acknowledged.
Murphy also extolled U.S. swimming coaches Teri McKeever and David Marsh for being “legends” in the sport. “Teri has been a trailblazer, especially with everything she was able to accomplish. She has done incredible things for our sport. In a sport that is primarily a male-dominated coaching world, Teri has been truly inspirational, and she has taken on a mentorship role for young female coaches,” he said.
“If you look at David Marsh’s coaching career, Dave Durden is one there. David has mentored him. He is an incredible connector of people,” he added.
“This next year and a half is going to be really intense,” he told his followers and fans. “I hope that they enjoy it. I am so appreciative of their support and it does make a difference. As I progress in the sport, I hope to inspire the next Olympian. You never know who is watching and you never know who is listening. That’s my biggest dream.”
For more information on three-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Ryan Murphy, check out his official Facebook page.
To learn more about the USA Swimming Foundation, visit its official homepage.
