My Campaign Announcement For Houston City Council At Large 4

As most of you know, I decided to put my hat in the political ring. I would really like to gain your support. Please watch my campaign announcement and support my efforts. We need the community that has support Shawn and I more than ever regardless if you live in Houston or not. If you are Houston, I need your vote. Thank you for your consideration.

Matt Murphy For City Council

Be the change that you wish to see in the world.[i] It always seems impossible until it is done.[ii] The time is always right to do what is right.[iii] Those three sentences were actually individual quotes from historical leaders that are famous for development of inclusion and unity of the people. To my knowledge the sentences have never been put together like that before, but when they are combined, they are even more powerful. It inspires me to live up my life mantra of going beyond saying “I Can” or “I Will” to saying “I Do!”


It is my belief that leaders actually “DO” things in effort to benefit and inspire those around them to “DO” the same. We all have dreams, but when we go beyond dreaming and say it’s time to make them a reality today is when true change happens.

The mantra has allowed me to gain a lot of success in both my personal and professional life. Though most have told me that it is “impossible”, I have been able to do the following in just under a decade:

• Recognized as the founding leader of a community in Dallas) that went from a handful of active neighbors into becoming one of the largest and active neighborhood groups in Texas. (Midway Hallow Community-HR2132)
• Transformed from an overweight smoker into a 2x Ironman Triathlon & 2x Houston Marathon finisher. (Shawn’s Ironman)
• Start a local birth defect awareness campaign with Texas Children’s Hospital to provide education, hope, and help to families affected by birth defects that gained international recognition and following. (Shawn’s Anomaly)
• Create an award winning short film documentary about the Houston Astrodome that has become a tool for education and preservation of the iconic structure. (Last Seat At The Dome)

All of those accomplishments and my belief that true leaders continue to evolve and recreate ways to promote positive change in the world by doing through transformation leadership, I have decided to move to the next chapter in my life and announce my candidacy for Houston City Council.

My wife and I have lived in Houston since we renovated and preserved one of the beautiful homes that compose the Riverside Terrace neighborhood nearly 8 years ago. We were honored to be joined by the birth of our only child (Shawn) in 2009. Together, we have considered Houston the only place we have called home as a family, and we plan to stay here forever.

Houston City council deserves a leader that is willing to lead the ever increasing diverse population of neighbors with the spirit of equity and inclusion. It deserves a leader that embraces these changing times in our neighborhoods while staying sensitive to social impacts such as gentrification, poverty, economic development, and equitable access to the resources that help neighbors. Houston deserves a leader that does not say, “I Can” or “I Will” that only promises direction, but a leader that says, “I Do”!

I have seen in past experiences that if you know your neighbors name, then you are obligated to look after them regardless if you both agree on social issues. Neighbors that know each other are catalyst for positive change. With that philosophy in mind, I am also announcing the immediate launch of the “Know Your Neighbor” initiative in conjunction with my candidacy announcement.

The “Know Your Neighbor” initiative will become a huge success because it brings neighbors together that carry on far beyond a political career of any candidate. With your support and assistance, Houston can be the leader in building up our community that will be the blueprint for other cities around the world.

The first step in this process of “Doing” is starting the dialogue. The best way of doing so is taking a small amount of time out of our schedules to introduce yourselves to your immediate neighbors between now and Election Day. Through this process, we acknowledge our common ground and plan events throughout the year to help promote the initiative and the spirit of community involvement. We will also be able to educate each other about the issues that affect our neighborhoods to help find viable solutions to address them.

Houston deserves this type of initiative and leadership, and I feel that I am the right candidate to fill that position. I will walk hand-in-hand with all of you as neighbors, listening to your concerns, earning your respect and support that humbly gives me the responsibility to be the voice of Houstonians. I looking forward to getting to know all of you better through this initiative and becoming the change that we desire.

Sincerely,

Matthew S. Murphy

[i] Mahatma Gandhi

[ii] Nelson Mandella

[iii] Martin Luther King Jr.

Chapter 39

Today is my 39th Birthday. It is hard to believe that I am 1 year away from 40, but I do not regret a single day getting to 39. I have always enjoyed birthdays regardless of how old I get. It is not because I like to receive presents, get a bunch of Facebook Birthday wall messages, or stuffing myself with cake. Okay, maybe I like the cake part, but it is so much more than that to me. It is also a time for me to reflect on the past year and what has happened. It is time to be thankful for all the blessings and evaluate and learn from the mistakes I made in the past year so I can become a better person in the next year of what I am considering "Chapter 39" of my life.

From the time I was a kid, I have always wanted to be the change in the world around me instead of waiting on the change. That mentality has driven me to do and accomplish all the great things I have in my 38 years. I am proud of what I can say I have done and stand for, but there seems as if there is more to be done. Ultimately I want to help and reach more people, so after careful consideration, praying, and discussions with my beautiful wife and close friends, I have decided that my next chapter in life will involve moving into politics.

There are so many things that I have been able to participate in outside of politics that has helped make society around us a better place to live, but I know that a greater change can be made if I am elected.

I thank you all for the support that you have given my family in the past, and I know that I can count on all of you to help keep me accountable to my position of being transparent and authentic as I move into this next chapter.

My promise to you is that I plan to be different than the current landscape of politicians that are seen today. The Republicans are too far right, and the Democrats are too far left leaving leaving a majority of us, and the answers, somewhere in the center. I plan to search for those answers, so that I can represent the majority instead of supporting some parties agenda that was written by an elite few.

The first step to my transition is to get everything I possibly can out of the Leadership Houston Signature Program over the next 10 months. Second is to set up an exploratory committee to determine which office to run for. Finally, I will announce my candidacy and seek your support and your vote if are in my district.

Thank you all again for everything. Stay tuned for more in the coming days...

Ironman Texas Results (5/17/2014)

The alarm went off at 3:30 am, and I was not a very happy camper. I was already drained from driving up to Dallas on Thursday only to come back home on Friday, but I had committed to my best friend, Shauna Hall, that I was going to be there before the swim start to calm her down. Somehow, I had forgotten that I had so many other friends that were going to be there too including fellow team members Karrie Bellard and Jackson Wyers. Fortunately, I was able to see them both throughout the day.

Matthew & Jackson Wyers Before
Swim Start

I got to The Woodlands about 5:00am and set up the Shawn's Anomaly tent in our regular spot on the waterway and run course and rushed over to the swim start where I walked with my friend and 1st timer Pamela Fergusson. She seemed pretty ready for the day. Shauna had not made the pilgrimage, so I decided to hang out by the "Swim Lessuns" guy and get a few laughs. Jackson came by and we snapped a shot before he went off to get ready.

Dylan Signing The H.O.P.E Flag

Finally, Shauna, came up with her family and we started  walking towards the start line. You could tell that she was really nervous, but I just did my best to just keep her smiling and making her laugh. After body marking, we finally found Pam and her son Dylan, who had been Shauna's inspiration from the beginning. She was dedicating the race to him after being born with kidney birth defects that demanded a kidney transplant. At the Houston Marathon, he had placed his name on the H.O.P.E. Flag, and have been supporting Shauna all through her training. They definitely have a very special bond.

We sent Shauna off to get into the water and watched all of the athletes start. It is absolutely amazing to watch the start of an Ironman when 2,500 athletes all start swimming for the same piece of property that can only hold about 300 of them. It is a sight to be seen:

Shauna made it in faster for the 2.4 mile swim than she expected, and we were all excited for her. Once she got past the transition tent, Pam waved her down and pinned the cross Dylan wore through 20 surgeries for protection and strength before she took off on the 112 mile bike ride. 

It is very hard to keep up with the athletes on the bike and nearly impossible to spectate due to traffic and road closures, so you have to depend on modern technology to follow the progression of the athletes like IronTrac and/or if they rent a gps tracker, you can follow them with MyAthleteLive (If you are doing an Ironman, I highly recommend that you rent a tracker. It is totally worth it for the spectators that are there to support you.) I am so glad that Shauna had a gps tracker on because it really helped with what happened next. 

We expected Shauna to have a 6:30:00 or 6:45:00 bike, but after 7 hours passed and still no sight of her, we were all starting to get concerned. All of a sudden the 8 hour mark passed and concern now became fear. Something was obviously wrong, and we did not know what it was. She was either hurt or she had a mechanical error. Finally, we see Shauna show up at the 8:29:52 mark very sick and looking very worn. All of us immediately started to worry about the clock because from where she stood, Shauna was going to have to run a huge PR to even finish on the right side of midnight. She gave her bike to a volunteer and just sat on the ramp crying and defeated. We felt the same way she did, but knew we had to get her moving, so we told her to get up and come to us. She came to us and explained that she was having horrible stomach cramps for the whole bike that caused her to ride horribly slower than her normal pace and the wind just literally took everything out of her. All we wanted to do is get her out on the 26.2 mile run course to at least have a shot. She started running to the changing tent and was out before we could get to the other side. We had missed her for a short time, but noticed her tracker was moving, so we knew that she started on the run.

Finally, Shauna's sister, Krisha, and I ran out to intercept Shauna on the run course to see how she was doing. To our amazement she was looking really strong, but was still complaining about cramping and abdominal pains. By this time, I still have not given her the flag because I did not want to add more stress on her, but she insisted that I did the next time I saw her at the Shawn's Anomaly tent. Krisha and I ran back as fast as possible to the tent to wait for her. Finally she showed up and I passed on the flag, it was a very special and emotional moment for everyone that was there to see it. Shauna and I both cried. 

We all watched her run away, and we started to look at her average miles per minute, and we all came to the conclusion that she was not going to make it in before midnight. We were certain of it, and the only thing that was uncertain was how to tell her that she was not going to finish this race. Several texts back and forth between Barry (her brother-in-law), Krisha, and I trying to determine what to do. Finally, I knew what I had to do. I knew that I was going to have to go out there and run with her just like what we did from the first time we ran Ironman Texas together 2 years ago. I asked Krisha to crunch some numbers to determine what type of pace we needed, and I headed out to intercept her again. Now, keep in mind, I was not wearing the right running gear and I have not ran more than 3 or 4 miles since the Houston Marathon in January, but at least I had running shoes, so I was going to try. 

I finally intercepted her and told her that we needed to maintain at least a 14 minute pace to finish the race. She argued with me for a little while and told me that she had plenty of time. This is nothing abnormal for her considering we argue about pace all the time during training, so I just stated the fact again, "We have to maintain at least a 14 minute pace to finish the race." She stopped arguing and said "Okay". At that time, I was not even sure how much she even had in the tank to finish, because frankly, she was looking pretty pitiful. I decided to test her out and started running a 10:30 pace just to see if she could keep up. She did and we kept that pace for about 2 and a half miles before I let her finish the loop on her own. 

By this time, my battery was going down on my phone, and I did not want to be without it. It was the only real communication we had since the course is so big. I texted Krisha to find out if she had any juice left in her portable charger, but it was out, so I ran to the car and got out my car booster and used it to charge up my phone as I ran to intercept her again when she arrived to Krisha and Barry's location. By the time I got there, Shauna was making the small out and back on the dirt path, and Barry was walking with her and encouraging her. As I walked up, Krisha gave me this look as is she was wondering what the heck I was doing with a car booster. I don't blame her, but to add to it, I gave it to her and asked her to bring it back with her because I was going to run the last loop with Shauna. Krisha never questioned me.

It was after 9pm and darkness had set in by now. The back part of the IMTX course is very dark and lonely. You nearly cannot see down some of those trails because it is pitch black. I knew she did not need to be alone during this time. I was so impressed with Shauna. She was still running when I felt I would not be if I were in her situation. We talked about everything on those dark roads. It was just like the first Ironman we did together in 2012. 

Finally, we made it back to the waterway and she was just two miles away from the finish. We had given her an hour to do 2 miles, and we both knew she was going to make it. She started to get so excited and starting yelling, "I AM GOING TO FINISH! THE H.O.P.E. FLAG IS GOING TO WAVE HIGH!"

I wanted her to suck it all in, so I told her that I was going to the finish to get a good spot so she could soak up the cheering of the supporting crowd. Approximately 30 minutes later, Shauna comes around the finisher shoot waving the H.O.P.E. Flag for all to see. Thousands of people were there, and I am pretty sure there was not a dry eye. SHAUNA DID IT!

There is still so much of this story that could be told, but leaving you with this moment is all that matters. Since that moment, the internet has been blowing up about what she did and how determined she was to finish. Not only did she finish, but she had a personal record 6:15:19 on her run. Something that should not have happened, but did because she had the H.O.P.E. Flag pushing her. 

Picture taken from Ironman.com

When it really boils down to it, her race was very similar to the journey that we as parents of birth defect children have gone through. There is a lot of pain, a lot of sickness, and a lot of uncertainty, but just like Shauna did, you just have to keep putting one foot in front of the other and pressing forward and never giving up. When I got home, I was very sore, exhausted, had chafe in places that I don't even want to mention, and been up for nearly 24 hours. I felt great!

Congratulations Shauna on becoming the 2nd Ironman to carry the H.O.P.E. flag for the marathon portion of an Ironman. The torch, or in this case the flag, was passed along to another great athlete and leader that night, and I could not be more excited about the future of Shawn's Anomaly and the H.O.P.E. Flag. I look forward to seeing who will step up to carry it next. Anyone? It will change your life forever along with changing the lives of all of those that witness your journey while inspiring parents affected by birth defects to keep take it one step at a time. You will never regret it, GUARANTEED. 

The Retirement

The "Iron Lady" herself, Margaret Thatcher, once said to someone about why she retired from politics, "It use to be about trying to do something, and now it is about trying to be someone." Most of the people around her thought that it was just the dementia talking, but I can totally relate to this quote. Most people do good things not because they are wanting to see good things, but because they selfishly want to be praised and feel good about themselves. It is almost common for someone to immediately have this "What's in it for me" thought before being charitable and to constantly need reassurance that their good deeds are being noticed.

From the time I started my journey, I have always said that it was not about me, it was about the journey and the kids. Sometimes that has been confused by some because they can't fathom the fact that someone was actually doing something good for goods sake. It finally led me to make a decision about a month ago to completely retire from training and competing in endurance and Ironman events because I did not want it to be about "me" anymore. The final straw was when Ironman never responded to my inquires regarding the Kona Inspired program that many of us athletes that have unique stories have used as an opportunity to get to the Ironman World Championship in Kona, HI. I later found out that they secretly canceled the program, and I was devastated. Kona Inspired was really the only way I wanted to get to Kona because it is not about me, it was about the community caring a lot about families affected by birth defects and coming together to watch the flag fly on the Ironman World Championship course. Qualifiying for Kona or even winning the lottery was always going to be about me accomplishing something, so that was my last resort and not preferred. The fact is, I may never get that chance now, so I felt it was time to stop killing myself with continuous training and fighting injuries in to what was never really a triathletes body.

It was time to come back to my family and be the husband, father, and son that they needed me to be. Rachel, Shawn, and my mother have supported me so much in the past 4 years. It is all that Shawn has ever known and he constantly talks about Ironman and how he wants to be one. I hope that one day he can, but with his conditions, I am not pushing him that way. If he wants to be an Ironman, a doctor, a ballet dancer, whatever, I am going to be there to support HIS dreams and not the ones that I want for him. 

I always knew that my time as the leader of Shawn's Anomaly and the "Team iDO!" always had an expiration date and a limit to how far I could take it. I often fought that date by taking on a lot more responsibility than maybe I should have. I know my limitations. I am not a writer, public relations guy, non-profit executive, or even a good athlete. I am just a guy that stood up and did something in a situation that I felt something needed to be done. Sure we have had some great success, but an effort to provide education, hope, and help to families affected by birth defects cannot be burdened on one average leader's shoulders alone. It will take a whole community effort and lead by amazing leaders. Please do not be confused, I am not leaving Shawn's Anomaly, I am just stepping back. When I am working behind the scenes and let the other athletes take the glory and the other leaders lead, the Shawn's Anomaly mission is just more effective and has greater impact. I am praying that this mission is inspiring great leaders and athletes to take over and make it bigger and better than ever before. 

H.O.P.E Flag Relay
at Flash Back 10K

Melanie Kerschbaum
Wins Marble Falls

To put it plain and simple, I was burned out and exhausted from all the training for Ironman, competing in Kona Inspired, managing the team, and leading the Shawn's Anomaly mission. If you have not already figured this out by now from my lack of posting and attending some of the events, I semi-secretly decided to step back from Shawn's Anomaly after the Houston Marathon to see if it would continue without my direct hand. I wanted to see if anybody else would step up and continue the forward movement. Fortunately, several of the athletes have. 

Amy Oiler Finishes
The Woodlands Marathon

I watched as Melanie Kerschbaum wore her kit proudly as she won her age group at Marble Falls, I watched Amy Oiler finish her first ever marathon in the The Woodlands while smiling the whole way, and I watched Jackson Wyers sport his Shawn's Anomaly kit like a champ at the Ironman Texas. I even watched several whom I barely knew carry the H.O.P.E. flag in a 10K race. Last but not least, I watched as Shauna Hall trained so hard in the months leading up to her attempt to carry the H.O.P.E. Flag at the Ironman Texas while several people told her that she was crazy for even attempting it. They all were continuing on without me, and I loved it.

Jackson Wyers At Ironman Texas

Winning The "Gold Remi"

I, of course, did not spend all of my time being a couch potato in the past 4 months. Several things have happened including winning a "Gold Remi" award for my short film Last Seat At The Dome at the 2014 Worldfest International Film Festival, I started a media company, we bought a boat so I could wear my "flippy floppies", I started writing a book with my close friends Don Lanier and Adrienne Langelier, and I spent a lot more time with my family and long lost friends. It has been amazing not to have to get up to go running, swimming, or biking before going to work. I could actually sit and have a cup of coffee and read the newsfeed. There have been moments that Shawn's Anomaly has needed my attention, but it was only temporary, and I have been able to handle it and go back to my "retired" life. I am glad to see that the Shawn's Anomaly mission has gone on without me. In my eyes, it needed to do so to become more successful. 

Hanging Out With Rachel & Shawn

Now if you have gotten this far in this post and started to think, "Wow, he sounds like he is not appreciative of all my work and dedication to help and support his cause" then you may be missing the whole point. I am very thankful that so many other people have decided to step up and take on the responsibilities. You have been there when the cause needed you most. Secondly, it is not my cause, it is not about me, and it is not even about Shawn. It all started because of Shawn being born with his birth defects and my journey to become an Ironman in his honor, but that is old news now. It is about all of the other people and athletes that have stepped up and decided to take ownership of the mission to help families with birth defects. It is about educating the general public about how common birth defects are and how it makes a family feel so alone and hopeless. If you ever thought it was about me, then I am sorry. That may have been my fault for not clarify the mission more clearly.  We even considered changing the name to avoid confusion.

About two weeks before the Ironman Texas, my new job asked me to go to Dallas for a business trip on Thursday and Friday before. I thought long and hard about how I did not want to go there just to turn right back around and attend the in The Woodlands all day on Saturday. I had made a commitment, that I would hand off the flag to Shauna, but now I was just thinking about calling her to meet up somewhere before the event to just give it to her so she would have one of her family or even Dylan give it to her on the run. Shauna texted me a week before the race and asked if I was still planning on being there. I had a choice to make at that very moment to either tell her about my selfish plan or say "Yes, I will be there!" Fortunately I, decided to strap up my boots and be there.

to be continued...

2014 Chevron Houston Marathon Coverage

I am getting really excited to carry the H.O.P.E. Flag in honor of all the great families affected by congenital anomalies at the 2014 Houston Marathon, but to be honest, I have been kinda laying low over the past month or so. It was not intentional. I have just been really busy with work, training, and preparing for the 2014 Team iDO! season. Fortunately the H.O.P.E. has found a life of it's own and families continue to virtually sign it and the supporters have carried the story in my absence. The 2014 Houston Marathon is the official kickoff for the team, and I am am so excited that I get to do it and to share with everyone the future of Team iDO!

For the past week on all of the local television station's keep talking about marathon...marathon...marathon...  Then all of a sudden, I saw this commercial:

It became VERY REAL. Before you know it, I was getting texts and Facebook messages from friends and followers about how they saw me carrying the flag on the commercial. It was exciting and scary all at the same time. 

Before every race, the same thing happens. I start to have doubts and start to feel every tight muscle and minor pain.  I come up with questions like, "Can I really do this?" "Will I let everyone down?" "Does anybody really care?" "Is this even possible?"

This feeling is very similar to what a parent feels before they release their child to the hospital or doctors to have surgery.  You have hope, but you also have a small ounce of doubt in the back of your mind. When we were in Shawn's hospital room awaiting a phone call to tell us the results of his surgery, I remember thinking to myself, "The phone will ring and one of two things will happen. Either they will tell me that the surgery was over and Shawn was recovering or that he did not make it." I was prepared for both, but thankfully Shawn survived and has recovered. 

The fact is for 99% of the population, this attempt to carry a flag for 26.2 miles at a busy marathon is impossible, and it is easy to listen to others around you and feel doubt. Fortunately, my son wakes up this morning at the perfect time to reminds me of something.....ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!

Shawn was playing with his little toy tools and putting the plastic bolts and nuts together.  He started to put the nut on backwards, but it was not working. He brought it to me and told me that he could not get it to work and needed my help.  

I looked at Shawn and said something that eventually came back to bite me. I said, "Shawn, that is not how it works. You can't do it that way." Shawn then looked at me and said, "You were not supposed be able to do it, but you became and Ironman right?" I immediately grabbed up the bolt and nut and figured out how to do it.  

The fact is if we put our mind towards something, we can DO it. It just takes determination, resilience, dedication, and a lot of HOPE.  I appreciate that my son was used to remind me of that, and I am so excited to carry that H.O.P.E. tomorrow to provide inspiration and that reminder to others.  If you see me out there, make sure to cheer me on. This is a community effort, and I need everyone to help me to the finish line.  LET'S DO THIS!

Let's Be Brave...

I provided a authentic complement to a co-worker, and what happened next was amazing and profound to me.  My co-worker said this to me:

God sent Moses to wonder through the dessert not because he wanted him to suffer, it was because God wanted teach Moses how to survive. God made you go through all that you did with Shawn because he wanted to prepare you for the journey that he planned for you to help so many other people and accomplish great goals. ~Michelle Mares

This comment shook me to the core, but it was in a good way.

My drive is somewhat based on my own insecurities. I have always had this feeling that deep down inside that the world was out to get me.  It all started out when I was in grade school.  I was the kid that always stood out in class not because I was good or smart, it was because I was the class clown.  Often I found myself completely distracted from the lesson that we were going over because I was daydreaming of something that grabbed my attention.

If you are reader of my blog, you have have fallen victim to my inability to spell, but there is a reason for that.  By the time I was 10 years old, I was diagnosed at Texas Scottish Rite hospital with Dyslexia and Attention Deficit Disorder. It was bitter sweet fro my family because finally there was a reason as to why I was not like the other kids.  I was wired differently.  My mother dropped everything to get a certification in learning disabilities to help me and provide my school with the information they needed to accommodate a child with a learning disability.  

I grew up in a very small town of only 1000 citizens, so the administration and teachers were very resentful on having to accommodate for one child.  They often would try to find ways to punish me or discredit the accommodations.  Because the teachers were condescending to me, that lead to the students being the same way, and I soon found myself being left out of the popular crowds.  I would try to do many things to get back in including fabricating huge stories about who my family was or who I hung out with, but that just led to them classifying me as a "Liar". It took years to lose that designation, and it is something that I struggled with till I was in my 20s. 

Finally, I realized that it was not who I knew, or what people perceived me to be is what makes me a part of the crowd. It was how I felt about myself and being transparent enough that everyone could see my flaws.  It was about doing what was right because it was right, and never trying to cut corners. 

I still have that feeling that someone is always looking over my shoulder, but that is what drives me to be the person I am today. That person is not looking over my shoulder to find something to bring me down, it is God looking over my shoulder to move the hurdles from my destined path so I will not fall.

Going through what we did with Shawn help my whole family see clearly how we are surround by death and sickness everyday and how so many out there are not always included because they are different.  Sara Bareilles just released a great song called Brave that really has a great message. One of of my favorite parts of the song is the part where she says:

Everybody’s been there,

Everybody’s been stared down by the enemy

Fallen for the fear

And done some disappearing,

Bow down to the mighty

Don’t run, just stop holding your tongue

Maybe there’s a way out of the cage where you live

Maybe one of these days you can let the light in

Show me how big your brave is

Say what you wanna say

And let the words fall out

Honestly I wanna see you be brave

This year, I made a different kind of New Years Resolution.  I am here to be your running/swimming/cycling partner, your accountability partner, and your Q&A guru.

I have learned a lot about training, diet, technique, form, etc. from a lot of knowledgeable people in the past three years that have helped me become a multiple marathon and Ironman finisher and I started as an overweight smoker. What I have learned is free to you.

Tell me your goals and resolutions for 2014 and what I can do to help. Let's take this life that is surrounded by death, sickness and despair, and use it to open our eyes on how to live life to the fullest every day.  Let's go from I Can... or I Will... to iDO! I wanna see you be BRAVE!

H.O.P.E Flag / Shawn's Ironman Tracker at Ironman Florida

Please Tweet Your Messages To Matthew Here:

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Ironman Athlete Tracker 

Search Matthew Murphy or Bib 1816

LIVE GPS TRACKING

Follow Matthew live on while he is on the course. Click on link and find Matthew Murphy Shawn's Ironman on list of names on right. 

Predicted Time Chart

Find out where Matthew should be during the race

(Updated Periodically During Race)

Video Streaming of Event

All Times Are Central. Estimated times may change based on weather and Matthew's progression through race.  Watch LIVE GPS Tracking for accurate location and refer to predicted time chart that will be updated throughout the race. 

Swim (Starts At 7:00am)

Transition 1 (Estimated Arrival 8:23am)

Transition 2 (Expected Arrival 3:38pm)

Finish Line (Expected Finish 10:39pm)

Thank You...

Regardless if you have followed this journey for one day or the last 3 years, I wanted to take this time to say, THANK YOU!

When I first started this blog, it was really just a way for me to keep a diary of my training that lead up to my attempt to become my son's Ironman triathlete in honor of his recovery from three life threatening surgeries.  Little did I know at the time that it would become a blog that gets nearly 10,000 hits a month.  None of this would have happened without you typing in or clicking on the link to navigate to www.shawnsironman.com.

I am not a writer, celebrity, or public relations guru.  I am just a simple dad that wanted to do what I could to prevent another family from feeling that hopeless and alone feeling that my family did when we found out that our child was born with life threatening birth defects.  

Shawn's Anomaly Awareness Run

Tomorrow I will start my journey to complete my second Ironman triathlon (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26.2 mile run), but I could not have gotten this far without all of the support from sponsors and fellow athletes. You have confirmed to me that this journey is worth it. Thank you specifically to Shauna Hall, Rich Wilkins, Karrie Bellard, and Ron Stitt for being my training partners leading up to the Ironman Florida. There were several times that I just did not want to get up do the long runs and bike rides, but I knew that you would be waiting for me and wonder where I was if I did not show up.

Family H.O.P.E. Flag Signing At Cook Children's Hospital

I want to thank all of the families that have placed their loved one's name on the H.O.P.E. Flag and allowing me to represent your family. I hope that you find the inspiration to keep pressing on one day at a time and know that you are only given what you can handle. You may bend, but you will never break. 

Thank you to all of you that have donated or plan to donate this weekend to our mission to the birth defect research and care package project at Texas Children's Hospital. 

I want to thank my family for putting up with me while I was absent during the weekend mornings training and being my "Ironman Support Crew". 

I don't know what tomorrow event results will be, but regardless where, when, or if I cross the finish line tomorrow of the Ironman Florida, I plan to take it one stroke, one pedal, and one step at a time...

Preparing The H.O.P.E. Flag for 1st Flight

We are only a week away from flying the H.O.P.E. Flag for the first time, so I felt that it was important to provide a timeline blog to let everyone know about the origin of the flag.

In the early start of 2013, I was still flying high on emotion after my successful completion to become, "Shawn's Ironman" at the Ironman Texas, and I knew my journey was not over.  I was trying to figure out the best way to carry on the legacy and include other families in my training and journey since birth defects affect 1 in 30 children.

In all of the 30 races that I have completed, I have always carried Shawn across the finish line or if it was a event like Ironman that did not let me do so, I would carry something of Shawn's (Shawn's Pacifier, Favorite Toy, Etc).  I decided to do that for every child I could get in touch with for the Ironman World Championship if invited.

By rule, Ironman does not allow family members run across the finish line like most other events. Even if they did, I would not have been able to carry so many people, or could I?

After being inspired by BethAnn Telford's finish at the Ironman World Championship, I decided to design a flag that I could carry across the finish line with me if I made it to the Ironman World Championship through the Kona Inspired program.  The plan was to cover the flag with names of those that were born or lost their lives from birth defects.  There is also a lot of symbolism about each part of the flag that you can read more about if you go to the H.O.P.E. Flag tab at the top of the page. 

After discussion with some close friends and my wife, we decided that we did not want the H.O.P.E. Flag (Helping Others; Providing Education) to just be a digitally produced flag.  We wanted the flag to be one of a kind and represent the journey of humanity bonding together as one voice to provide hope and awareness for the prevention and treatment of birth defects.  I reached out to the founders of the Museum of Cultural Arts Houston (M.O.C.A.H) to see if they would help hand paint the flag.  Rhonda Adams did something even better, by creating a workshop where volunteers & families affected by birth defects could personally paint the flag. It was an amazing experience:

After the initial creation of the flag, we started to place the names on it, and had the opportunity to take the flag to Texas Children's Hospital.  Of course each name has a story.  All are different in each way, had the same feeling and being the only family having to deal with birth defects because there was not information and the question that Rachel and I did: "Why did this happen?" Each time of placing the name on the flag or watching a family member or child place a name is special beyond words. 

CiCi & Shawn (Shawn's Nanny)

This has made the H.O.P.E. Flag develop a life of it's own that grows and changes all the time.  I get emails all the time from family members that want their loved one's name placed on the flag.  We have also had a lot of help along the way including the angel that Shawn's called "CiCi" for nearly 3 years of life as his nanny. CiCi helped by sewing the two sides of the flag together. It was a special moment for her too.

Shawn & CiCi After Flag Was Sewn Together

The Staff at Gardner & Martin Preparing H.O.P.E. Flag To Fly
www.gardnerandmartin.com

Unfortunately, I did not receive the invitation to the Ironman World Championship, but that will not stop me.  I will continue to enter the "Kona Inspired" program every year until we receive the invitation.  I also plan to do at least one Ironman event a year.  The Ironman Florida is my event this year, so I decided to give the families represented by the flag an option of watching the H.O.P.E. Flag be carry across the finish line with me at these events. 

Not only was their a resounding request of carrying the flag with me at each Ironman event that I compete in, but any other major event and for the duration of the running portion of the event.  This means, that I will carry the flag for the whole 26.2 mile run of the Ironman Florida barring that it is not raining (I don't want to damage the flag) and the Houston Marathon in January.

This will be tough, but I will thrive on the strength that I get from each name.  I also have the advantage of having a custom running flag pole being constructed of carbon fiber that will help reduce the weight of the finished flag thanks to Adam Weeks of Carbon Fiber Tube Shop.  

I am not sure what will happen on November 2nd.  I hope for the the perfect situation of crossing the finish as the H.O.P.E. Flag proudly waves in the air, but I also have to be realistic.  By the time I grab the flag for the first time, I would have already completed approximately 8 hours of strenuous exercise and covering 114.4 miles.  I will need you as a follower and supporter of this journey to push me along. 

On the days leading up to the race and race day, please send your messages via Twitter and Facebook using the hastag #HOPEflagchallenge. During the run, my wife will read your messages to me as I pass by.  If you are at the event, please provide me with "MORE COWBELL"!  This is not just my journey or Shawn's journey. You as a supporter are a part of the success of this journey.  It depends on you sharing with all your friends and family. Each person that become aware is accomplishing Shawn's Anomaly mission of providing education, hope, and help to families affected by congenital anomalies. 

To donate to the mission to fund research and provide families in the hospital with care packages, pleas to to www.hopeflagchallenge.com.

Thank you for your support and consideration!

H.O.P.E. Flag Challenge-$14.6K in 14.6 days

Help Continue the H.O.P.E. Mission...  

The 2013 endurance racing season is coming to a close, and I have spent all year training and getting ready for my big race, the Ironman Florida (2.4 mile run, 112 mile bike, & 26.2 mile run) which will be held on November 2, 2013. At that event, I plan to carry the H.O.P.E. Flag.

The H.O.P.E. Flag (Helping Others; Provide Education) was created and hand painted through a workshop at the Museum of Cultural Arts of Houston (M.O.C.A.H).  Since that that we have allowed family members to place the names of children either currently affected or lost due to birth defects. Names continue to be place on the flag every day. In effort to provide them HOPE, I promised those families that I would train and get ready to carry the flag with me across the 2013 Ironman Florida finish line. You can find out more about the symbolism of the flag and creation by going to H.O.P.E. Flag Page.

It is amazing what we have learned about birth defects since the beginning of our journey in 2011. Although Shawn's specific conditions were rare, 1-in-33 children are born with some sort of birth defect. Birth defects are also the leading cause of infant mortality. We have also found that there is very little funding that goes to research, education, and awareness. This leaves parents like Rachel and I feeling hopeless and alone while our children are being treated. Rachel and I decided that we would do whatever it took to prevent another family from going through what we did with Shawn alone. Thank you in advance for your support of this effort. This could not be done without you.

In 2012, Rachel and I committed to raise the first $25,000 of the Shawn's Anomaly "Parent Packages" are just a small gesture but it has proven to have a huge impact for the families that receive it.  Other than just providing them with basic toiletries, the parent packages provide the parents with a sense of hope and the assurance that they are not alone during this tough time.
port Fund at Texas Children's Hospital. The money is used to help fund congenital anomaly research projects and provide care packages to families that are currently in the hospital with their children that are undergoing treatment and surgeries to repair their birth defects. These "

I was amazed and honored to be joined by several other every day and professional endurance athletes that chose to pick one of their events this year to help raise money towards the $25,000 goal. Together we have raised approximately $10,400 in a little over a year.  I never would have imagined that we would be this successful in such a short time, and we could not have done it without your help.  Once again, it has proven that "Anything is Possible" and convinced me to consider this next challenge.

I thought it was very interesting that we have $14,600 left of our goal, so to help finish the season with a huge bang, I think it is possible that with your help we can raise the remaining $14,600 in the 14.6 days that lead up to the finish of the 2013 Ironman Florida by donating to my Ironman Florida "Your Journey, Your Cause" page.

On race day, I will carry the H.O.P.E. Flag for the duration of the 26.2 mile marathon of the race while wearing a donation bag. If you are at the race and you see me coming, I ask you to please contribute $1, $5, $10, $20, or $100 donations to the bag as I run by. You can also go online and donate to my fundraising page by clicking the donate button above.  Remember that no donation is too big or small. Every dollar counts. You can follow my progress live on race day by going to www.hopeflagchallenge.com and please share the link on Facebook and Twitter using the hash-tag #HOPEflagchallenge so all your friends and family can help as well and send messages of support that will be read to me during the race. 

Sincerely,

Matthew S. Murphy
a.k.a. "Shawn's Ironman"

Thank you to all our sponsors that have supported our efforts so far: Champion System, Newton Running,OnUrLeft Coaching, BlueFin Software, yurbuds, & MyFitFoods.  We could not have gotten this far without you.

2013 Ironman World Championship Live Coverage

2013 Houston Triathlon Results

After the Bridgeland Triathlon and after a good month of training, I felt very confident going into the Houston Triathlon that I may see some great results.  I also wanted to dedicate this race to one of the bravest little girls I have ever had the chance to meet: Amaya Hope.

Amaya was born with Hypoplastic left heart syndrome and has had many surgeries in her first of year of life.  I first met her and her mother when I made a trip to Dallas where Amaya was in the PICU at Children's Hospital of Dallas awaiting for a heart transplant.  I brought the H.O.P.E. flag to the hospital so her mother could put her name on it.  I did not realize at the time that her name was going to be placed on my heart as well.  She just did not have the normal pink color that most babies have, but she was strong!

I wrote her name on my forearm so I could see it while on the bike and run.  I am so glad I did, because I know that seeing it gave me added strength to keep going and push harder.

I am happy to say that Amaya did indeed receive a heart transplant and so far the surgery has been a success.  She now has established that pink color that we see in all children and was released to go HOME the day after the triathlon! What a miracle and inspiration!

The race was changed slightly since the last time I raced it in 2011. The swim use to be a 2 loop swim, 2 loop bike, and run through the Towne Lake neighborhood.  This year the swim was redesigned to be all one loop.  This was exciting to me, because I knew that I would be able to keep focus on my rhythm.  For the first time in a very, very, long time, I felt comfortable in water.  I have had anxiety in the water for a long time since the Kemah Triathlon in 2011 when I was kicked in the head by a much slower swimmer and nearly knocked unconscious.  I have not been able to feel comfortable in the water since that day and especially when I was around other people.  I have been working on it a lot, however, I saw a huge difference at the Houston Tri.

If there was one complaint that most people have about the Houston Triathlon is that the distance between transition and the swim exit.  It is over 1/4 mile that you have to run to get to your bike.  Most say they hate it, but I have a complete opposite opinion about the issue.  First of all, this distance is the same for everyone, and second, it gives me a chance to let my heart rate go down before I have to get on to the bike.  This proved to be very beneficial.  I wish all of the transitions were that long.

The nearly 24 mile bike ride was my first test in race conditions since my master bike fit with Tad Hughes.  I knew that I would learn a lot about how I would feel about saddle pressure and upper body fatigue.  Unfortunately that has been a huge issue for me in the past, and that is was one of the main reasons that I chose to go to the Tad Hughes Custom Fit Studio to have my bike set up for "long course" racing.  The fact of the matter is that the bike portion of the race has always been the part that I disliked the most, but since it is the longest distance and time in most races, I wanted to do what I could to make it more enjoyable.  Little did I realize that comfortability would also correlate into being faster and for the first time ever in a olympic distance race I averaged over 20 mph for the bike portion for the first time ever in a race regardless of distance. I have to give all credit to Tad for this.  I know that being more comfortable helped not only my speed in the race, but the training leading up to the race.  I can't believe that I neglected this part of preparation before now.  If you don't get fit by Tad, then you are just settling for second best!  Thanks Tad for all your help.

I finally made it to the run feeling more refreshed than I ever have felt before, so I decided to take

advantage of that. It was pretty hot out there and most of the course was out in the sun without much shade, so it took a little longer than I expected to be my "run legs" going.  Finally after about 1 1/2 miles into the run, I found my groove and just in time to receive a ice cold sponge from the amazing volunteers at the race.  This is just one of many reasons why I think that OnUrMark is the one of the best race production companies out there.  They put a strong emphasis on not only making a race first class, but raising the bar of what to expect. I am so lucky to live in the same city that these races are held.  If you are planning your 2014 race, I highly recommend you go to www.onurmark.net and see if any of their events match your race schedule.  You will not regret it.

I finally made the last turn and could see the finish line.  I was worried when I had not seen Shawn and Rachel yet, so I was hoping that they made it to the race in time.  About that time, I saw Shawn running to me.  I was so excited to see them both.  I grabbed him up and gave him a big hug.  This was a huge accomplishment for me considering that the last two time that I did this race, I could barely hold up my arms, but now, I was fresh and feeling great.  I looked at Shawn and said, "You ready to finish this?" He smiled and said, "YES DADDY! Let's Do It!"  And we ran our way towards the finish line.

Results:

Swim: 36:24.0 2:26/M
T1: 5:02.2
Bike: 1:07:33.8 21.3mph
T2: 3:04.9
Run: 1:06:00.5 10:39/M

Total: 2:58:05.7

PERSONAL RECORD- THANKS AMAYA. WELCOME HOME!

This may be my last race before Ironman Florida.  It all really depends on certain things working out and timing.  We are now less than 50 days away from race day, and I hope to keep everyone up to date the steps towards becoming a 2 time Ironman and my training.  Most importantly, I hope to share some stories about some of the families along the way.  Thank you all for your support.  You may never know how much it motivates me to keep going.

2013 Bridgeland Triathlon Results ~ Back to "Tri"ing!

August was a time to finally start getting back into the groove of racing.  I had finally started to get back to training after a long time off because of my foot injury. I knew that if I was going to get ready for Ironman Florida, I knew that I had to start training regardless of the pain.

Jackson Wyers, Shawn, Matthew, & Karrie Bellard

My first attempt at racing is where all of it started three years ago: the Bridgeland Triathlon in Cypress, TX.  This arguably is the best sprint triathlon in the south mainly because the course is fast and the attention to detail by the promoter OnUrMark Productions.  I give a lot of credit to me continuing in triathlon because this was my first ever triathlon 3 years ago.  The atmosphere is just electric.

I was fortunate to be joined with two of the Team Shawn's Anomaly iDO! 5: Karrie B
ellard and Jackson Wyers.  I as also joined by our honorary team member Brittany Breaux whom was fundraising for the medical research goal at Texas Children's Hospital. I am proud to say that she raised $150.00 for the cause.  She actually passed me on the run and looked in top shape.  Thank Brittany for your generous heart and choosing Shawn's Anomaly as your Reason2Race.  To check our her fundraising page, CLICK HERE!

After Swim

I arrived to the swim start feeling a lot of butterflies.  It had been over a year since I lined up "between the buoy's to start a race, and I was just not sure how my body would react. I had dedicated my race to little Patrick whom was born with Gastroschisis.  I knew just thinking of him would get me through the tough times.  The horn sounded and took off swimming.  Even though the swim was 500 meters, the water was hot from the Houston summer, so I was focusing on saving my energy for the bike and swim. Sadly, I can't say that I ever got into a good groove while swimming.  I felt like I was struggling a lot, but every time I spotted the swim exit, I could see my great friend, Shauna Hall, waiting and pulling out some of the swimmers.  It was great to see her after the swim.

Not Actually Me, but very similar!

The transition (T1) seem to go pretty smoothly.  I do remember thinking before the race, "Should I put clip my shoes onto the bike, or should I wear them to the bike mount line?" I decided to lock them into the bike since the transition was on grass and I did not dirt and grass get into my cleats.  This ended up being a bad idea, and I made what w
as pretty much a "rookie mistake".

There are several ways that triathletes will mount their bikes.  Some will stop at the mount line and get on to the bike while others will have a little more flashier and faster mount by running next to the bike and jumping over the top bar and landing on the saddle.  The "Flying Mount" has always worked for me pretty well, but this day, well, not so much.  As I swung my leg over my bike, it got caught on my water bottle cage and I lost my balance.  It all resulted in me crashing. Fortunately, I the only thing that was broken was my pride, and I kept going.  Fortunately the remainder of the bike and my dismount was much better.

As I entered the run, the outside temperature had elevated over 90 degrees.  It was going to be a hot run on a mostly open to the sun run course.  It was tough to get my legs to start working, but finally after about a mile, I started to get into rhythm.  Shortly after, the finish line was in sight.

One of the best parts of OUM events is that Aaron wants them to be a family friendly environment. In the past, I have grabbed Shawn and crossed with him across the finish line.  Now that Shawn has gotten older, he has become a pretty good runner, so I initially grabbed him, but right before the finish line, I decided to set him down and let him run across the finish with me.  This became a very special moment for both of us that was captured by a friend of mine.  Thank you, Donna Ahrendt, for capturing this special moment.

Photo by Donna Ahrendt

Results:

Swim: 12:51.4 2:09/M
T1: 2:06.1
Bike: 39:00.0 19.7MPH
T2: 2:11.8
Run: 31:55.7 10:18/M

Total: 1:28:05.3

Finally I was back to racing, and next up was the Houston Triathlon...