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Karen Murphy Interview

by Graham Robins 

First Season Success for Karen


Photo: Mike Osborne

After competing in ten of the twelve rounds of the Wessex Cyclo-Cross league young American rider Karen Murphy was the overall winner of the Women’s league in her first season of racing. Talking about the success, Karen said “I did not win the league by being the fastest or the most talented; I won it through dedication and acquiring points in every race. Every race I am humbled by the women who seem to fly over the course”.

Karen rides for the Wight Mountain team (www.wightmountain.com) based on the Isle of Wight, which in itself causes all sorts of logistical problems getting to the mainland for races. Luckily for the team they are sponsored by Red Funnel Ferries which helps with the crossing to Southampton. Karen comes from the Philadelphia suburbs, her mother is an artist and her father a doctor, she also has two brothers which she is always trying to keep up with.

Family life was a happy time and Karen’s parents gave her the values for life like seeing magic in everything and to work hard to achieve her dreams whatever they may be. Karen now works for GKN Aerospace as a European Intellectual Property Manager based on the Island following spells in Ohio and Germany. It was whilst working in Germany that Karen brought her first bike.

Karen’s boss at the time, a Dr Eberhard Ernst, helped her set up the bike, gave her tips and set her out with the maps to discover the hills around Northern Bavaria, which in turn sparked her passion for bike riding. After her work project had finished in Germany, Karen was looking for another adventure, perhaps in China or India but there weren’t any openings available to her. However following a conversation with her boss, he suggested a position was available on the Isle of Wight, Karen responded with “that sounds great! Where is it”? But after six months of island life she has fallen in love with the islands natural beauty and the friendly people who live there.

A week after Karen arrived on the island, she went along to the Wight Mountain shop to pick up a bike as her only means of transport; little did she know that soon she would be racing for the team and being sponsored. As Karen doesn’t have any family here, she quickly made friends with the good people from the shop who in turn introduced her to Steve Dines who along with Steve’s partner Anna who became her mentor/trainer and driver to events along with being a team mate. Steve has help Karen to hone her technical skills and along with John Foster who has been helping with bike setup Karen has achieved more than she could have expected.

When Karen met with Steve for the first time, she had no clue about cyclo-cross, so he gave her Simon Burney’s book to read. After the first couple of races and getting technical support from John and morale support from Anna, Karen was soon enjoying her weekly mud bath, “some girls would pay a fortune for a mud bath but it costs me ten quid a week and sometimes I even manage to win a couple of cans of Guinness or even a tire repair kit”.

Karen enjoys the sportsmanship and the competition of her fellow riders and always has a big smile plastered along with mud across her face. After dedicating the last eight years of her life to her career, she is now enjoying the cycling very much and the adrenaline boost that it gives that only a race will give you. After her first race, which she won, Karen commented that her legs and lungs were on fire, which was not surprising as she always gives 100% at everything she does. When asked to sum up a CX Karen said “Fast, Muddy and Fun."

Karen favourite race this year was the Remembrance Race in Southampton as she rode it with her big brother, a marine and two time veteran of the Iraq conflict. She says she gave it 150% that day!

Next year, Karen plans to maintain her place as the first lady in the Wessex League, but she wants to win it because she has been the fastest on the track. Karen would like to thank all the people who have helped her throughout the season and looks forward to the season starting again in September.

Thanks Karen and good luck next year.