DES MOINES, Iowa – The “Murph” challenge is familiar to many who are into a certain level of fitness. It’s a challenge honoring Navy SEAL Lt. Michael Murphy who was killed in Afghanistan in 2005.
But now a Des Moines man is celebrating the end of his personal Murph challenge.
Trent Thielfoldt took up the grueling Murph challenge early last year and kept at it for 515 days.
Trent is always up for a challenge.
“One-mile run, 100 pullups, 200 pushups, 300 squats, and another mile run,” he said.
It’s a workout called the Murph. And Trent has completed one every single day for the last 515 days in a row.
“You know, I thought, okay, I’m going to do so many that nobody else is ever going to try to do this many again,” Trent said.
Through all of Iowa’s weather, vacations, holidays — Trent has shared his journey on social media, which made it possible for his parents Bill and Kristi Thielfold to keep tabs on what he was up to from Colorado.
“One thing he always does, is it’s always successive,” said Bill. “I was like, is this healthy? Is this, is this like past like the bar?“Kristi questioned.
Bill and Kristi weren’t just being protective parents. It was only 12 years ago that Trent was hospitalized with a life-threatening blood infection.
Bill said, “They weren’t sure he was going to make it, which was pretty scary as parents.”
“You know, that whole hospital stays always kind of in the back of my mind,” Kristi recalled.
They were cautious, but witnessing the discipline of their son’s pursuit shifted how they were thinking in more ways than one.
“As we seen him go through it. We also took a family trip to Disneyworld and this kid got up and did the Murph every morning. Regardless of what we had going on that day,” Kristi said.
“They just saw that I did it and they said, you know what? If he can do this and you setting the time aside, then we can too,” Trent said.
From one streak another was born.
“Kristi used to do marathons and half marathons until she got injured in the military, and so she couldn’t do them anymore. So she was like, well, maybe I can’t do those anymore, but maybe I can do a 5K,” said Bill.
“Bill’s kind of modest, but he has already lost 30 pounds and he’s off three major medications. Which is phenomenal that our son started this path and it has improved his dad’s health so much that he’s off major medicines that usually once you get put on them, that’s it. It’s kind of a lifelong situation,” Kristi said.
Trent set out on this mission of doing 515 Murphs and the payoff is much greater than he ever expected.
“And while he is also modest, I think he is very proud of the impact that he has had on us,” said Trent’s mom Kristi.
The challenge is done. But for the Theilfoldt family, the impact is lasting.