In Healthful Recognition Of Hero, Braintree Police Mark Memorial Day

BRAINTREE, MA — Like countless Americans, Braintree police took time on Monday to honor the country’s fallen military heroes.

But this commemoration was unlike many others.

Sgt. Frank Sforza led about a dozen BPD members in a group fitness workout, known as “The Murph” in recognition of Memorial Day.

The Murph is named after Lt. Michael Murphy, of New York, a U.S. Navy SEAL who died in the line of duty in Afghanistan during 2005 and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.

A growing number of people have headed to the gym or made new commitments to fitness as a way of remembering those who sacrificed their lives for others.

In fact, nearly 250 dedicated “Hero Workouts” have been created and coordinated by an Arizona company, CrossFit, which operates gyms and provides training regimens across the U.S.

Those workouts include The Murph. According to CrossFit, here’s some of what it includes:

• 1-mile run
• 100 pull-ups
• 200 push-ups
• 300 air squats
• Another 1-mile run.

Some participants in The Murph compete for the best times in a friendly face-off that raises money for education. Since 2014, the Lt. Michael P. Murphy Memorial Scholarship Foundation has collected over $2.2 million.