On Memorial Day, Americans across the country take a break from work and school to remember and honor the sacrifices made by members of the military. One well-known actor continues to pay tribute in a physically demanding and deeply personal way.
Actor Taylor Kitsch marked Memorial Day 2025 by completing his annual “Murph” challenge, a grueling CrossFit workout named in honor of Lt. Michael P. Murphy, a Navy SEAL who died in Afghanistan in 2005. Murphy, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, became the first Navy service member to receive the prestigious award since the Vietnam War.
Kitsch, who portrayed Lt. Murphy in the 2013 war film Lone Survivor, took to Instagram on Monday to let fans know he would again complete the challenge, keeping a tradition he has upheld for years.
The “Murph” consists of:
A 1-mile run
100 pull-ups
200 push-ups
300 air squats
Another 1-mile run
Participants are expected to perform the workout while wearing a 16.4-pound body armor vest, replicating the intense physical demands faced by service members like Murphy.
Murphy, who was a fan of CrossFit workouts, created the challenge during his service. After his death, the CrossFit community embraced it as an annual tribute. Kitsch’s dedication to repeating the workout each year serves to honor not just Murphy’s memory, but the legacy of all who have served and sacrificed.
“Michael could do it in about 32 minutes, but once in Iraq, he was able to do it in 28,” said Daniel Murphy, Michael’s father and a Vietnam veteran.
This year, hundreds gathered in West Sayville, New York, close to a museum dedicated to Lt. Murphy, to participate in the challenge. Daniel Murphy shared that he visits his son’s grave twice weekly and remains proud of how the event has grown.
“I’m going to tell him how competitive it was this year,” he said. “We had two people finish in 33 and 34 minutes. I’ll tell him that, and about how many people showed up.”
Among this year’s most inspirational participants was Finn Schiavone, a teenager from Bay Shore who uses a wheelchair. After being paralyzed in a wrestling accident, Schiavone completed the challenge as a tribute to Murphy and his family, who helped motivate him through recovery.
“I don’t even know how to explain it. They instilled a sense of drive into me,” Schiavone told the New York Post. “I want to apply to the Naval Academy and hopefully become a SEAL.”
As Americans reflect this Memorial Day, Taylor Kitsch, the Murphy family, and participants around the country continue to ensure that Lt. Michael P. Murphy’s sacrifice is never forgotten.
