Two-time Olympian Ryan Murphy has held true to his South Side roots over the years while preparing for the upcoming Tokyo Games.
Originally from suburban Palos Heights, Murphy will be competing for Team USA in the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke races.
After living in Oak Lawn, Murphy’s family relocated to Florida, where the swimmer grew up.
He never lost his ties to Chicago, though, with many relatives still watching him train for the Games from the Oak Lawn and Evergreen Park areas. Murphy said two of his favorite sports teams are still the Chicago Bulls and the Cubs, although one causes some controversy with his family.
“All of my uncles are White Sox fans, so they kill me every time I say I’m more of a Cubs fan,” Murphy said.
In the 2016 Rio Olympics, he took home three gold medals for backstroke events and set a new world record. That same year,…
