Keith Murphy
Keith Murphy
QUICK STATS
Birthday: September 8, 1992
Height: 6’6”
Hometown: Houston, Texas
School: University of Texas
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
NCAA Championships individual qualifier
2013 Academic All-Big 12 (first team)
6x Member of Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll
EXPERIENCE
“Swimming is a humbling sport full of its up’s and down’s. There are times you find yourself in a cold pool at 5:30 a.m., and you have the choice between complaining or feeding off of your teammates to make that experience better. I made the decision that I was never going to be the guy that made things worse; I was always going to be the one that made things better.”
Keith Murphy hasn’t altered his mindset much since hanging up his goggles as a Texas Longhorn in 2015, bringing ambition and positivity with him wherever he goes–most recently, the pool deck.
“Partnering with Fitter and Faster and getting back to the sport that has given me so much is super rewarding. Obviously, it’s fun to see people improve and drop time, but what I value most is giving people the chance to participate in a sport that helped me grow in so many facets of my life.”
During his decorated career, Keith coupled this balanced outlook with an unmatched work ethic. Focusing on the small details, Keith adjusted his daily life choices to fit with his athletic goals, paying close attention to nutrition while weaving in new stretching/mobility routines. He admits, however, he hadn’t always been so disciplined.
“I was bigger and stronger earlier on than most kids my age when I started swimming. That set me up for an inevitable plateau. My friends caught up, and suddenly, I was in the middle of the pack. It was good for me, however, because I started to realize that loving to race and being good at racing alone wasn’t good enough. I realized that I had to put in that work at practice and and utilize each and every one to get better.”
Keith hopes to guide participants to this same realization, where they can begin to maximize their experiences in the pool (particularly during their most formative years). Hoping to strike a balance between focus and fun, Keith has crafted a curriculum that is sure to resonate with young competitors.
“There has to be that ‘yin-yang’ in swimming. On one hand, you should be really conscious of your stroke and remaining disciplined. On the other, you have to maintain the joy you had upon discovering it. You should always enjoy competing and being with teammates.”
For Keith, the little things are additive, which is why he focuses on the fine, easy adjustments that combine to make a massive difference. Having competed for one of the most storied programs in collegiate swimming, Keith was privy to some of the most effective coaching models in the sport. Couple that with an intensely analytical mind (of importance in his current career as an engineer), and you’ve got a highly skilled clinician who can give your swimmer the tailored, close attention that he/or she deserves. Searching for “unconventional ways” to articulate the basics of hydrodynamics and body position, Keith hopes swimmers will develop a natural understanding of how their bodies move most efficiently through the water. Packaged in a comfortable and captivating learning environment, this instruction is sure to pay off in numerous meets and practices to come.
Invest in your swimming career with Keith; sign up for a clinic today!
