To Serve & Excel

Maggie Murphy is always looking for a challenge. 

The freshman gymnast at the University of Maryland was introduced to gymnastics organically at a young age. Her mother and both of her older sisters were gymnasts, so her parents signed her up for classes. She joined Brestyan’s Gymnastics, known now as Beyond Gymnastics. The club with a history of training Olympic medalists was where Murphy developed a passion for pushing herself.  

However, consistently improving and learning new routines as a gymnast wasn’t enough for the Boston area native. Influenced by a coach and one of her sisters, Murphy entered her name to participate in her first Spartan Race during the summer of her freshman year of high school at Westford Academy. 

The race undoubtedly challenged her as she intended. But it also later led to her joining the Army ROTC. In her first year on campus at Maryland, Murphy is challenging herself to balance the demanding program with being a student-athlete. 

“I knew that after college gymnastics, I’m not going to be doing that forever,” Murphy said. “I was looking more in advance into something to keep me active and show that same physical fitness and discipline that gymnastics does for you.”

In just a short time participating in Army ROTC, Murphy has stood out amongst her peers. On Nov. 7, 2024, she was named cadet of the week. The national recognition was for her leadership within her community and for showcasing her qualities as a scholar, athlete, and leader. 

Murphy participated in her high school’s Adapted Physical Education (APE) program, where she helped host a Special Olympics with area schools. APE provides physical education to students with disabilities.

“I was just fortunate enough to be able to get that and be recognized,” Murphy said. “It just shows that I was working hard and will continue to work hard. It just shows that the work has paid off in a short time.”

Maryland head gymnastics coach Brett Nelligan and the rest of his staff have supported Murphy and her ambitions outside of her sport. They constantly ask her questions about what she learned and are accommodating with time conflicts.  

According to Nelligan, he’s never coached an ROTC student-athlete. But when he found out Murphy was involved, he and his staff embraced her passions and made it clear from the start that they would accommodate her.  

“When she let us know that that's something that she was interested in doing, we were not only supportive of it, but we were excited for her,” Nelligan said. “I really feel like when you choose to come to Maryland, gymnastics is a big factor, but our school is so proud of what we do on the academic side that we should never limit our student-athletes from achieving their goals outside of the gym.”

Murphy believes her involvement in ROTC and early participation in Spartan Races made her a successful gymnast. Her physical and mental toughness has grown, translating to managing pressure and overcoming inabilities to perform high-intensity routines. 

She became a four-time Dual County League (DCL) Gymnast of the Year award recipient, winning each year of high school and a three-time national qualifier. 

“I think there's a lot of crossover benefits for any gymnast to be successful,” Nelligan said. “It's dedication, time management and the pursuit of physical and mental excellence. Those are things we talk about in the gym every day.”

Murphy studies criminal justice in the classroom. She’s interested in working on crime scenes, forensics, and investigating. 

Despite none of her family members serving, Murphy hopes to join the U.S. Army Reserve after graduation as part of the Military Intelligence Readiness Command (MIRC). The MIRC comprises over 6,300 soldiers in more than 40 U.S. and European units. 

“I really commend her for her dedication,” Nelligan said. “It's not easy at times, but Maggie has proven that she's capable of handling a lot.”