Meet triple jumper Connor Murphy (Fr 2020) who is studying for a Bachelor of Applied Sciences (Physiotherapy) at the University of Sydney. Connor was placed second at the recent Australian Open Track & Field Championships and qualified for the international team.
Tell us about your experiences in athletics and why it’s a passion of yours
I have been doing athletics for as long as I can remember, it has always been something that my whole family has done. Our family’s obsession with it definitely stems from my father, Andrew Murphy, who was a three-time Olympian in the triple jump. From a young age my three brothers and I all did little athletics on Friday nights, which often became the highlight of our week. As I grew up and continued to improve in athletics, my passion for the sport kept growing, much to the joy of my dad!
In recent years as I’ve matured, my success in the sport has grown and a future / career in the sport is becoming a realistic goal of mine. Despite my dad’s strong influence in taking up athletics, the sport has grown to be something that I individually love and am obsessed with.
Why triple jump? It is quite a niche event, but I had always been better at the jumping events than the sprinting events, and as I grew, triple jump ironically was what I found the most success in.
Tell us about your recent success
Recently I competed at the Australian Open Track & Field Championships which were held in Sydney at SOPAC. To my joy I managed to place in silver, and jump the qualifier for World University Athletics Championships, which has unfortunately been cancelled due to Covid. However, achieving this and qualifying for this international team was a big stepping stone for me and I was very happy with this.
Where have you been training?
Currently I am in North Queensland at a training camp, which was organised by my coach, who is also my dad. I am up here with a few members of my training squad, we are also here to support Rohan Browning (Fr 2016) in his preparation for the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. This camp is a good opportunity for me to get an insight into the preparation required before a major championship, the warmer weather is also allowing for a much more enjoyable training experience too!
What is your biggest goal?
As with anyone in this sport, I think my biggest goal is to win an Olympic Gold Medal, there is something very special about that accomplishment and so to do that would be amazing. A definite side goal would be to jump further than my dad, ha ha!
What made you choose St Andrew’s College?
I chose St. Andrew’s on the recommendation of former student Rohan Browning, who I train with. Obviously when initially starting at College I was concerned with balancing athletics with the social side of college, but I was convinced by Rohan that at Drew’s it was definitely possible. Now, having been living and training at college, I can confirm that’s true.
How do you feel St Andrew’s has supported you to achieve your goals?
St Andrew’s has definitely helped with pursuing my athletics dreams! The first advantage is the massive convenience it provides to me. Being able to live so centrally within Sydney has meant that travelling to and from training and events is so much quicker, and has allowed me to dedicate more time to studying, and focus more on training.
However, the bigger advantage that Drew’s has provided me with is balance. Being able to come back to college from a training session is great, as living with my mates is a great way of taking my mind off training, which has definitely helped me to avoid burning out. Drew’s provides me with a life outside of athletics, which is fantastic and that has made a massive difference.
Did you compete in athletics at school?
I went to school at Trinity Grammar School, and I competed all the way through school. Trinity has actually provided me with an abundance of opportunities which have helped both my academic and sporting development.