Story Note: Bill Murphy recently climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa alongside his two adult children, reaching the mountain's summit on January 19.
Antarctica is nearly 10,000 miles from Worcester, and it’s one place Bill Murphy never imagined he’d be.
A 1989 graduate of North High School, Murphy recently completed the Great World Race, running seven marathons in seven days across all seven continents, starting with Antarctica.
“It was like ‘pinch me, I am in Antarctica,’” Murphy said. “I didn’t think that was even possible. Growing up, I thought only scientists were there, so to be there was pretty cool.”
For Murphy, the race was more than just a physical challenge. It was a mission to raise funds for Make-A-Wish Massachusetts and Rhode Island. His campaign, Running the World for Wishes, raised over $100,000—more than double his original goal—while helping grant wishes for at least 10 children.
Bill Murphy '89 runs alongside a pack of runners during the final marathon of The Great World Race in Miami, Florida
Murphy completed marathons in Wolf’s Fang, Antarctica; Cape Town, South Africa; Perth, Australia; Istanbul, Turkey (Asia and Europe); Cartagena, Colombia; and Miami, Florida.
He was one of 54 runners, finishing each 26.2-mile race in under eight hours with minimal rest between marathons – flying between most of the locations in different time zones.
Training began in January, with Murphy testing his body and mind.
“The idea was to continue to run tired, run on tired legs, tired body, tired emotions and just keep peppering that,” Murphy said. “And then mentally, it was just a lot of meditation, visualization, a lot of self-care, and biohacking like crazy.”
Bill Murphy crosses the finish line with another runner during The Great World Race.
Murphy’s past marathon experiences helped with his preparations, including completing the 2021 virtual Boston Marathon on crutches on the track of Worcester State University. But the toughest race came in the heat of Colombia.
“When you can’t take anything (into your body), it becomes a mental game,” he said. “I’m running for kids with critical illnesses who don’t have a choice but to fight. What’s my excuse?”
Murphy lives in Grafton and is a mortgage originator for Fairway Independent Mortgage Corporation. In recent years, he’s completed several marathons and ultramarathons for charity – and recently climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro with his adult children.
Bill Murphy stands at the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa.
In 2022, Murphy released a book, Thriving in the Storm: 9 Principles to Help You Overcome Any Adversity, and regularly provides workshops and speeches about his seven principles to establish a mindset to thrive through major life challenges.
Murphy believes setting goals and finding your “why” is crucial for overcoming those challenges.
“The why takes care of the how,” he said. “When things get tough, you tap into that resource. You keep going because quitting is not an option.”
Murphy didn’t just rely on internal motivation. He carried keepsakes from Make-A-Wish families, peers, and his own family–touchstones for remembering his why.
“The letters, the texts, the encouragement, it was just engulfing. Those things, the mantras, the positive attitude, the people lifting you up. Those are the things I went to,” Bill said.
Murphy recently spoke with students in an assembly at Forest Grove Middle School – urging students to aim higher. He says it is all about showing they are capable of more than they think.
Bill Murphy gives a speech about the power of goal-setting to seventh grades at Forest Grove Middle School on December 18, 2024.
Murphy says he didn’t fully understand the power of goal-setting or finding his why until his 20s. Now, it is part of the routine that helps him find success both in his career and personal life.
“I look at goals I wrote 10-15 years ago and can’t believe I achieved them,” he said. “I want students to think bigger—if you can’t write it down, you don’t know how big you can go.”
Murphy’s commitment to giving back took a tangible form when he established a scholarship at North High School. It supports students facing financial challenges, particularly those unable to afford extracurricular activities.
“I realized it was the perfect way to help,” he said. “I wanted it to be for students from North High who want to be involved but struggle with the costs, especially if they’re a commuter.”
Murphy graduated with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology from Worcester State University and Framingham State University, respectively. Last fall, he was recognized with an Alumni Achievement Award from the Worcester Educational Development Foundation.
Calling All WPS Alumni!
Are you a WPS alumni? We’d love to hear what you have been up to!
Please take a moment to fill out the WPS Alumni Survey to join our growing alumni network and stay up-to-date on all the latest news and events happening in our district.