> Rob Murphy
Rob Murphy
Profiled November 2019
Number of years orienteering?
On and off since approximately 1978, so around 41+ years.
How were you introduced to orienteering?
Kind of born into it really. My Dad, Bob Murphy, started orienteering in 1973, so my older brothers and I often came along with Dad and Mum. I still remember doing a wayfarer’s course (what’s now called 'white') in Woodhill when I was around 4 or 5, running ahead as Mum who was too slow talking to another mum… Getting lost, then asking one of senior orienteers for help to get back to the finish.
Key orienteering achievements to date?
- Making NZ Team in 1993 for ANZ Test Match in 1993 in Perth, Australia, and wearing Dad’s tracksuit, gave me goosebumps, I was so proud to wear Dad’s NZ o suit top.
- Winning NZ Champs Relays in Under 14 grade with Tania Robinson and Aiden Boswell rates up there really highly.
- Getting 3rd in M40A for Australian Orienteering Champs Middle on gold mining terrain near Ballarat.
- Having a clean run on Day 3 Oringen 2018, Ornskoldsvik, was pretty special, as Mum had just died the month before, so was thinking of Mum and Dad.
What do you love about orienteering?
Would have to be the friendships made over many years, the scenic locations we get to orienteer on- that most people would never see in their lifetime, and of course the huge range of map types and vegetations that we run on! It’s also a sport that you can do as you get older. I played tennis for many years, but my joints can no longer take the pounding on tennis courts - but they’re still okay for Woodhill.
Favourite map and why?
Would have to be Backsjo, described by the 2018 Oringen organisers as an area of true wilderness, it certainly lived up to it’s reputation, with amazing contours, great scenic views from the hilltops, tricky orienteering, and about 5 types of tree cover as well as knee high blueberries in many locations. Besides the points mentioned, it was really intricate orienteering, and I felt after orienteering on this map that my orienteering skill level was probably akin to a 5 year old in Sweden, as I made so many errors, and had to really carefully navigate using all the tools: mapreading / compass / distance estimation. It taught me to view my orienteering differently, and this inspires me to navigate with more of a feel for map in the future.
Map you have yet to experience but aspire to orienteer on?
I’m a big fan of Paul and Kevin Ireland’s Pinelands maps from the past – but guess those locations are a bit of a distant memory. However, there’s this event called the OOCup and those maps look up to the gold standard of the Ireland’s maps, so want to run on them at some point ;-)
Orienteering hero?
Alastair Landels, what an athlete! He had such an amazing race back in 1994 in Woodhill to win the World Cup here… I still remember the nail biting finish waiting for a Finnish guy called Mika Kuisma, as the final radio splits were neck and neck… then for Al to get the win, was something special, was cool to have been there to experience it, on a gruelling classic distance (now called long) race.
Day job?
Food Technologist selling food ingredients.
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