A 45-year-old father’s decision to lose weight was inspired by his little girl, and now his journey is motivating others.
Two years ago, Dave Murphy weighed almost 400 lbs and was at the park with his then four-year-old daughter Chloe, when he decided to change his life.
“She said: ‘Let’s race home,’ and I said, ‘Sorry honey, dad can’t,'” Murphy recalls.
“The look on her face, I will never forget it, and that fired me up.”
His fight to get fit caught the eye of Southpaw Boxing Gym.
The gym was inspired by Murphy’s story and offered free training to help him reach his goal.
So far, he’s lost roughly 160 lbs.
“Looking back, I don’t even recognize that guy,” Murphy said.
Murphy said he doesn’t have a goal weight in mind, he just wants to keep active and stay alive for his family.
“I just want to keep running with her,” he said.
“That little smile on her face is worth every minute.”
Murphy survived a violent stabbing attack over two decades ago and credits paramedics for saving his life.
“I had a punctured lung, lost half my muscle in my leg, 13 wounds in total. I was in rough shape,” Murphy said.
Being a father to Chloe has reminded him of the reason he feels he survived — not only the attack, but also the mental struggle he faced afterwards.
“There were a lot of years I had bad thoughts and wondered: ‘Why me? Why was I spared that night?’ There it is.”
Murphy’s wife Kim is proud of his transformation.
“He’s doing more with (Chloe), takes her to the park all the time and plays with her. It’s great,” she said.
Murphy has already raised thousands for charity and decided to donate $1 for every lost pound to Can Praxis, a non-profit organization that helps veterans and first responders heal from PTSD.
The founder of Can Praxis, Steve Critchley, says the group is grateful for Murphy’s passion and heart.
“To use the determination to get back on your own two feet and find a way to help yourself and others…
“It’s amazing, it’s wonderful, it’s humbling,” Critchley said.
Murphy is hoping others will join him and is challenging them to raise funds alongside him.
“It keeps me accountable,” Murphy said. “If you’re struggling out there, make that pledge and it will fire you up.”
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