LeBlond grad embracing nonprofit role before leaving for college

By Chris Fortune

Recent Bishop LeBlond graduate Elliott Murphy is heading to the University of Arizona to play wheelchair basketball, but not without lending a helping hand to people in need.

Murphy’s mother and friends joined him at Rolling Hills Library on Thursday to speak about his journey and the nonprofit he helps lead called Wheels To Wheels. The nonprofit partners with Hope Haven to deliver wheelchairs, walkers, canes and crutches to people with disabilities.

The goal of Wheels To Wheels is to share the gift of accessibility globally, and that mission will continue when members of the group, led by students from Bishop LeBlond and Benton High School, take a trip to Costa Rica in a week to help deliver wheelchairs.

“It’s been nice to know that we have some other youth members and some of my closest friends being able to go on this trip,” Murphy said.

Murphy’s parents, Wheels To Wheels and Hope Haven members will make the trip to Costa Rica. Hope Haven’s Costa Rican partner, Moviendo Esperanzas, organizes the clinic.

In total, over 30 people will help build, repair and deliver wheelchairs to people in need in Costa Rica. Wheels To Wheels efforts are made possible because of the friends who embrace and match Murphy’s will to help others in need, like Jonathan Eckstein.

“Just being able to help one person is fulfilling, but shipping over anywhere between 100 to 150 wheelchairs — being able to help that many people, knowing that they will be able to use that for years — it improves their quality of life,” he said. “It changes all that they’ve ever known, so that will also be profound.”

Murphy also spoke about his experience with Midwest Adaptive Sports and encouraged anyone who knows someone with physical needs to learn more about the sports it offers, such as wheelchair basketball, wheelchair football and adaptive skateboarding.

St. Joseph resident Trevor Callaway brought his son, Martin, to the event because he is constantly looking for opportunities to play competitive sports.

“Whenever we heard the story about Mr. Murphy and his athletic career, it really motivated us to come out and see where Martin’s athletic career could go,” he said.

Callaway said it was important to learn about the opportunities that he didn’t think existed.

“It broadens (Martin’s) horizons and just makes for a fun life,” he said.

As Murphy pursues his passion for helping others off the court, he will prepare to make the move to Arizona in August to continue his career on the court.

“Knowing some of the kids that are already on the basketball team, it’s going to be nice to not only make new friends out there but go in with some built-in friends,” he said.

After living in St. Joseph his entire life, Murphy said it will be surreal to leave.

“It’s going to be a good experience to leave St. Joe for a little while, but I’ll most likely end up back here being a St. Joe boy,” he said.

Murphy’s mother, Carrie Clark-Murphy, works behind the scenes with Wheels To Wheels, and she gives all the praise to the students involved.

“Her getting involved with these organizations has been very, very vital, and it’s been a great experience,” Murphy said.

Carrie Clark-Murphy is preparing for the moment when she sees Murphy off as he goes to college. Several people have asked how she will handle the moment.

“I probably have the same anxiety that all parents do when their kids are making that that next step, towards the next phase of their life,” she said. “And we are very close. It will probably be tougher for me than Elliott.”

But she said Murphy is more than prepared for the jump to college since he surrounds himself with good friends and has plenty of strong and encouraging people in his life.

“I think I will see him a lot because we’ll go to all of his games, so we’ll see him a lot,” she said. “Poor guy’s probably never going to be able to totally sever from us, but yeah, that that helps knowing that we’ll see him quite a bit.”

Anyone interested in learning about Midwest Adaptive Sports can visit https://www.midwestadaptivesports.org.