Michael Murphy

Started: He began riding at age four at Penniwells Riding for the Disabled Centre in Elstree, England. "By the age of 10, I was riding at junior international level in Para dressage and I remember thinking to myself - I'm going to go all the way to the Paralympics. I obviously didn't quite realise at that age all of the work that it would take to actually get there but I certainly had decided then that this is what I wanted to do." (horsesportireland.ie, 23 Aug 2021; michaelmurphy.org.uk, 01 Sep 2018) Reason: His doctor introduced him to the sport as a form of physical therapy. "My mother used to do showjumping when she was younger, so she already knew a little bit about horses. I just did it for fun. Then I got better and started competing in local shows. When I'm in my chair I'm limited but when I'm on my horse I can go anywhere and do anything and that sense of freedom is not really anything I get in any other aspect of life. When I became involved in Para sports, taking part gave me a real sense of freedom and belonging - it gave me an opportunity to relate to people and it was so important in terms of building my own confidence and keeping in good physical shape." (horsesportireland.ie, 23 Aug 2021; Paralympicsire YouTube channel, 07 Nov 2019; michaelmurphy.org.uk, 01 Sep 2018) Ambition: To compete at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (michaelmurphy.org.uk, 14 Mar 2023) Milestones: In 2022 he became the first equestrian rider representing Ireland to win a medal in Para equestrian dressage at the world championships. He claimed bronze in both the grade I individual championship test and the grade I individual freestyle at the 2022 edition of the tournament in Herning, Denmark. (SportsDeskOnline, 08 Mar 2023) Awards: He was a torch bearer on the relay from Harrow to Haringey in England ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games in London. (michaelmurphy.org.uk, 01 Sep 2018; harrydabbs.co.uk, 20 Aug 2018) Additional Info: ASSISTANCE He has a team that prepare and warm up his horse prior to competitions. "I can't do the trot and canter, but the horse still needs to do that, it's an exercise. So, my trainer does all of that stuff, and at competitions she's allowed to warm up the horse for me. We have a very close relationship on making sure everything is finely tuned, and I'm kind of telling out the stuff I would want to be able to do on the horse, and then she's doing it. And then there's my personal assistant who helps throw me on the horse as well. There's a lot of hands and trusts. Everything has to be finely tuned, so it's quite important everyone knows their job and place. I'm very lucky I have fantastic support from my team." (Paralympicsire YouTube channel, 07 Nov 2019) LONDON 2012 TORCH RELAY He took part in the torch relay ahead of the 2012 Olympic Games in London through the Lloyds TSB Local Hero Programme. "It was an incredible experience, I remember getting off the bus at my station just ahead of the torch arriving and the streets were packed, there were loads of celebrities there and I was so nervous. They handed me the torch and I just remember thinking, 'Whatever you do, don't drop it Michael'." (horsesportireland.ie, 23 Aug 2021) OCCUPATION He has worked as an environmental advisor for a construction company based in London, England. "I've always been a bit of a science nerd and I really wanted to do something that would make a difference. I really enjoy my job and I believe that anything that helps the environment is making a difference." (Facebook profile, 24 Jan 2024; horsesportireland.ie, 23 Aug 2021)