Every Memorial Day, a group of people in D.C. still wake up early on their day off and put in the work at the gym. They do a tough workout called the “Murph” challenge to honor a fallen service member.
Joey McIntosh called it “an iconic workout” during their warmup at Urban Athletic Club in the Washington Convention Center in Northwest.
The workout consists of a one-mile run, 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 air squats and finishes with another mile run.
Michael Presley, a CrossFit trainer at Urban Athletic Club, led the challenge early Monday morning. The workout is named after Lt. Michael Murphy, who was killed in action during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan in 2005. For his heroics, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
“Michael P. Murphy was a U.S. Navy SEAL who would do this workout whenever he was out and had a lack of gym equipment, to be able to work out,” Presley said.
For some, like Megan Wynn, it was their first attempt at the workout.
“I think it’s a really nice tradition to honor this person every year and do this really intense workout, and kind of put us in a setting as if we were a Navy SEAL and the kind of conditioning they go through. It puts it in perspective of the work they have to do,” she told WTOP.
Meanwhile, Jason Tindungan, who is an active-duty Army soldier, came out for very personal reasons this Memorial Day to complete the challenge.
“Just recently a lost couple of friends over in Kuwait,” he said. “It’s one of those things I got to do, and think I owe it to them.”
Tindungan did the entire workout in his 20-pound military vest.
“We’re doing it for the people who have fought for his country and have fallen,” he said. “We’re also doing it for (their) family, so that’s my motivation to keep pushing through.”
Ben Picozzi finished the challenge at just 36 minutes.
“My piddly, 30-plus-minute workout is nothing compared to what they go through on an everyday basis. So incredibly fortunate to be living in this country and having them behind us,” he said.
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