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The Murphy brothers--Kevin, Geoff and Dan (from left to right)--took part in the The Face of America 2002 bike ride from ground zero to the Pentagon in Arlington, where this photograph was taken. |
WHEN THEY look back on last weekend's three-day commemorative bicycle ride from ground zero to the Pentagon, the Murphy brothers have a wide array of memories.
Sure, the trio from Fredericksburg, Stafford County and Waldorf, Md., will recall the muscle aches, the head winds and the sheer exhaustion that dragged them down at times on the tough 270-mile "Face of America 2002."
They'll smile--and wince--at the problems their bike seats and friction combined to create, requiring an emergency stop one afternoon to purchase a tube of blister-soothing lubricant.
And they'll beam with pride at finding themselves ahead of three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond in the field of 1,050.
But what will stay with them forever are memories of the people they encountered with ties to those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.
"We met a really inspiring guy in camp on the first night," said Waldorf resident Kevin Murphy, a 51-year-old, who made the ride as a way to mark his retirement from the Air Force. "His story really touched everyone who heard it."
Murphy said the cyclist was working in one of the Twin Towers on the day of the attack, on a floor above the jetliner's impact.
The 14 people in that office immediately tried to get out through a fire escape, but found the door to the stairs jammed.
"This fellow said a man appeared who kicked a hole through the wall next to the door and pulled all 14 of the people in there through, sending them down the stairs to safety," said 46-year-old Geoff Murphy of Fredericksburg. "But when it came time for this rescuer to leave, he refused, saying there were others to check on."
The cyclist said that when he opened The New York Times several days later, he learned that the rescuer had died trying to get others to safety.
"This fellow telling the story was making the ride in honor of the man who'd saved them all," said 42-year-old Dan Murphy of Stafford. "That's just one of the many stories like that in this ride."
It isn't odd that these Murphy brothers, whose family operates the Old Towne Bicycle stores in Fredericksburg and Woodbridge, would be on a bike ride together.
But the inclusion of former Iron Man Triathlon competitor Dan Murphy was a last-minute addition.
"Geoff and I had signed up to do the ride with a brother-in-law from Wisconsin," said Kevin Murphy, noting that the trio had been training for months. "But our brother-in-law, Andrew, got pneumonia last week and was in the hospital."
Initially, brother Dan said he wouldn't be able to join the other two because Geoff's departure left the Fredericksburg store short-staffed on a weekend of a local cycling event.
Enter brother Dave, who manages the Woodbridge store and juggled staffing there to take Dan and Geoff's place in Fredericksburg after first delivering the three brothers to New York City.
The Murphys zeroed in on facets of the ride they'll long remember: the emotional send-off that left family members of attack victims in tears at ground zero, the camaraderie of the ride itself and the celebrated arrival, en masse, at the Pentagon.
"We had several handicapped riders join us, including this one who was paralyzed on one side," said Kevin Murphy. "He was able to work a special cycle with just one leg clipped into a pedal, with the injured leg and arm just dangling, useless. It was something."
Less inspiring were the heavy winds, delays getting on and off ferries and bridge-hopping buses and long lines for life-saving services like meals and showers.
"Before riding into the Pentagon, we all gathered at RFK Stadium so we'd arrive as a single group," said Geoff. "I don't think I'll ever forget the cheering and the emotions as we all came in there. It was something."
ROB HEDELT can be reached at The Free Lance-Star, 616 Amelia St., Fredericksburg, Va. 22401; by fax at 373-8455; by phone at 374-5415; or by e-mail at rhedelt@freelance star.com.
