Getting Hooked

"I’ve always been a bit of a jock," Murphy says cheerfully. But while most world-class athletes discover their talent young and dedicate their lives to reaching the Olympics, Murphy discovered her gift at the age of 33. A "cushy bike tour" tacked onto a business trip to France rekindled a childhood interest in the pastime. Although she enjoyed riding her bike around her Manhattan neighborhood — and, later, South Hill — Murphy had never thought in terms of racing until she returned from her French trip and began looking for a new bicycle. "Two of my friends were bike racers, and they encouraged me to try it," she says. "I’ve always been into competitive sports, and I thought this sounded like fun. I had no idea what I was getting myself into."

Her talent was not immediately obvious. "I was really bad at first," she admits. "But it only made me work harder to get better. I kept getting feelings of accomplishment, and I kept setting my goals higher and higher. I never thought it would carry me this far." To date, Murphy has racked up 76 career wins, including one U.S. National Masters championship, two World Masters championships, four New York State championships, and seven World Masters medals.

Before the 1996 games, Murphy began toying with the idea of competing in the Olympics. She has dual citizenship in the United States and Ireland through her father, and a friend suggested that she join the Irish women’s cycling team. Ireland didn’t send its female cyclists to the qualifiers that year, and Murphy temporarily shelved the idea. This year she made the trip to the qualifiers on her own and came in fourth, securing Ireland a slot in the Sydney competition. This doesn’t guarantee that Murphy will be chosen to represent Ireland, but all signs point to her.

Preparing for Sydney is a full-time job. Murphy rides 15 to 20 hours — about 300 miles — per week and supplements road work with weight training. Her practice tracks are New York’s Central Park and the Palisades Parkway in New Jersey. She also races at least once a week, traveling all over the country to events.

Among the obstacles Murphy faces is the simple reality of age. "At 41, I am competing with women who are much younger," she says. "You do have to train a little harder, because you don’t bounce back as quickly when you’re tired, and you don’t have the same muscle capacity. You also lose a little leg speed, but that’s not a problem with distances."

As the only Irishwoman in the race, Murphy also has to compensate for lack of support. "Cycling is a team sport," she explains.

"That’s what I like about it; there are a lot of tactics involved.".