When it came time to choose a direction for her future, Murray decided she wanted to attend college and double major in mathematics and French horn performance. Her dream was to teach calculus, a testament to her intellectual inclinations.

However, life had other plans. During her second year of college, Murray faced severe mental health challenges that led her to seek treatment for an eating disorder. The program she enrolled in introduced her to a new form of therapy: empowerment through movement.

“We did various forms of martial arts every day as a way to focus on and appreciate our bodies for what they could do instead of what they looked like,” Murray said. “I was quickly drawn into the challenge of training and pushing myself physically. I continued to train martial arts when I returned home from this camp, and my fitness journey spiraled from there. 

Murray began doing CrossFit, a high-intensity workout program that involves a variety of functional movements. Her love for the strength aspects of CrossFit steered her towards power-lifting, which led her to return to school at Central Washington University to pursue a degree in exercise science.

“While at CWU, I coincidentally became friends with Zack McCarley and Pat Castelli, who—unbeknownst to me at the time—were two of the best weight class strongman athletes in the world,” said Murray, who grew up in Wenatchee. “In 2015, they were invited to compete overseas and were putting on a fundraiser to raise money for the trip. I jumped in to support my friends, and the rest is history.”

Finding Her True Talent

The influence of her friends introduced Murray to Strongman competitions. The amateur circuit in Strongman is a rigorous pathway, with local shows leading to national competitions and, ultimately, to prestigious events like the Arnold Amateur World Championship.

Murray followed this path with determination, eventually winning the Strongman Corporation Nationals in 2019, earning herself a middleweight pro card.

Since then, she has built an impressive résumé, including a win at the 2021 World’s Strongest Woman competition in the under-73 kg (u73kg) class, along with several significant victories in the past year.

One of the standout moments in Murray’s career thus far was her invitation to compete at the 2023 World’s Strongest Nation competition in the United Kingdom.

“It was incredibly validating to be one of the four women selected to represent America,” she said. “This show was put on by Giants Live, a very well-known organization in Strongman for putting on incredibly competitive and high production level shows, but they had historically only put on contests for men. As the sport grows, we’re finally seeing more and more opportunities for women. This was the first opportunity any woman outside the UK had to participate in a Giants Live show.” 

While it was one of the highlights of her career, the competition came at a challenging time for Murray. She was in the midst of training for her most important competition of the year—the World’s Strongest Woman contest—just two weeks after Giants Live.

“I immediately had to fly back and squeeze in one more week of training before competing again for a title I’d been training two years for,” she said. “On top of the physical demand of an international competition right in the middle of my final training block for Worlds, the mental challenge of bouncing back between shows was harder than I’d expected.”

Despite the challenges she faced, Murray emerged victorious.

“A win for team USA in Liverpool for the Giants show straight into a World’s Strongest Woman u82kg title—a goal I’d been working toward for years—solidified me as the first, and so far only, athlete in the sport to win World’s Strongest titles in multiple weight classes,” she said.

Creating a Persona

Beyond those two career-defining victories, Murray also took first place in several other 2023 competitions, including America’s Strongest Woman competition (u82kg) and the Amateur Arnold World Championship open division, where she earned her heavyweight pro card.

Despite her lifelong struggles with mental health, Murray has developed strategies to manage the psychological demands of competition. From vlogging her contest preparations to varying her training environments, she continually works on maintaining a positive mindset and emphasizes the importance of self-care.

A unique aspect of Murray’s competition preparation is her use of “war paint,” a creative makeup ritual that helps her manage anxiety and transform into a confident competitor.

“The war paint is something I initially started doing to combat the anxiety of competition,” she said. “I’ve always gotten horrendous stage fright and performance anxiety. It was my coach’s idea to create an ‘alter ego’ to take the contest floor, and it not only provided me a calming way to start the day, but it allowed me to transform myself into someone else.”

When Murray isn’t training, she serves as a strength coach for other athletes. Since graduating from CWU in 2017, she has found joy in working with clients at all levels, particularly beginners, to help them discover their potential and build healthier, happier lives.

Murray’s accomplishments not only highlight her exceptional strength but also her determination to challenge the norms and pave the way for other athletes. Her achievements and dedication to empowering others serve as an inspiration to all who face challenges and strive to find their own strength. 

“My dream future is one where I can make enough of a living as an athlete and part-time coach to travel to meet and train with people all over the world,” she said. “I want to connect with people and share my story, and be able to represent Strongwoman and strength sports in a way that encourages other people to believe in their own crazy dreams.”