An 82-year-old bodybuilder, who can deadlift 225 pounds, used common household objects to fight off a man she says broke into her New York home.
Willie Murphy, 82, says a man knocked on the door to her home late Thursday night, claiming he was sick and needed an ambulance. She called police but didn’t let him in. Next thing she knew, the man had broken into her home.
But what the suspect likely didn’t realize is Murphy is an award-winning bodybuilder, who works out at the YMCA almost every day. She grabbed a nearby table.
“I took that table, and I went to working on him. And guess what? The table broke. When he’s down, I’m jumping on him,” she said. “He picked the wrong house to break into.”
When officers arrived minutes later, it was the intruder, not Murphy, who needed medical attention. “He’s laying down already because I had really did a number on that man,” Murphy said.
The suspect, who police say was intoxicated, was taken to the hospital. Murphy is not pressing charges.
Jim Marron, a long-time friend of Murphy’s, is not surprised she held her own. “I probably weigh close to twice as much as her. I wouldn’t want to tangle with her. Don’t mess with Willie.”
Murphy says she can deadlift 225 pounds and that she hopes her story inspires people of all ages.
