Ryan Murphy Siblings: Get to Know Shannon and Patrick

Ryan Murphy is an elite American competitive swimmer renowned for his dominance in backstroke events.

Born on July 2, 1995, in Chicago, Illinois, and raised in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida, Murphy has established himself as one of the most decorated swimmers of his generation.

Specializing in the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke, he combines exceptional underwater technique, mental composure, and relentless consistency to excel on the global stage.

A five-time Olympic gold medalist, Murphy’s career trajectory took off during his college years at the University of California, Berkeley, where he became a four-time NCAA champion in both backstroke events.

Beyond the pool, Murphy graduated with a degree in Business Administration and has channeled his platform into advocacy for youth swimming access, reflecting a commitment to inspiring the next generation.

Siblings

Ryan grew up as the youngest of three children in a family deeply immersed in swimming culture, with his older siblings Shannon and Patrick playing pivotal roles in sparking his passion for the sport.

Shannon, the eldest at around 24 years old during Ryan’s early Olympic breakthrough in 2016, and Patrick, about a year older than her, both competed competitively in swimming during their youth in Illinois and later in Florida.

Their involvement in local swim leagues and lessons motivated the young Ryan to follow suit, starting his own aquatic journey at age four in a summer league and progressing to more serious training by age eight.

As recounted by their mother, Katy Murphy, the siblings’ early “mommy and me” lessons in a chilly outdoor pool in Oak Lawn, Illinois, laid the foundation for a household where water became synonymous with family bonding and achievement.

Patrick, in particular, has shared insights into the unique dynamic of having an Olympian brother, describing Ryan’s rise from tag-along to trailblazer as both inspiring and surreal.

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Career

Murphy’s swimming career ignited in Jacksonville, Florida, where he trained with the Bolles School Sharks under coach Sergio Lopez, shattering 26 national age-group records across backstroke, individual medley, butterfly, and freestyle events before graduating high school in 2013.

At the University of California, Berkeley, he joined the Golden Bears and quickly asserted dominance, sweeping the 100-yard and 200-yard backstroke titles at the NCAA Championships for all four years of his college tenure—a feat achieved by only four male swimmers in history.

In 2014 and 2016, he earned NCAA Male Swimmer of the Year honors, breaking multiple American and NCAA records, including Ryan Lochte’s long-standing marks in the 200-yard backstroke.

Transitioning to the professional circuit post-graduation, Murphy debuted internationally with a bang at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he swept the backstroke golds while setting an Olympic record in the 100-meter event.

His prowess extended to the 2018 Pan Pacific Championships, where he claimed three golds and Male Swimmer of the Meet accolades, followed by a triple crown at the Short Course World Championships.

Murphy’s Olympic journey continued in Tokyo 2020 (held in 2021), yielding a relay gold, a 200-meter backstroke silver, and a 100-meter bronze, and peaked again in Paris 2024 with two more golds in the backstroke sweep and a medley relay bronze—marking him as one of only four U.S. swimmers to medal in three straight Games.

Accolades

Murphy’s trophy cabinet gleams with Olympic excellence, boasting nine medals across four Games: five golds, one silver, and three bronzes, placing him among the elite pantheon of American male swimmers surpassed only by legends like Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte in total haul.

His Rio 2016 haul included individual golds in the 100-meter and 200-meter backstroke, plus a relay gold, highlighted by a world-record-setting 51.85 in the 100-meter that stood until 2022.

In Tokyo, he anchored the victorious 4×100-meter medley relay while securing silver and bronze in the individual backstrokes.

Paris 2024 added golds in both backstroke distances and a relay bronze, cementing his status as the fourth U.S. swimmer—and first male since Phelps—to medal across three Olympics.

On the world stage, Murphy holds 19 medals from five Championships since 2015, including individual golds in the 100-meter backstroke (2023) and 200-meter (2022), three silvers from 2019, and a sweep at the 2018 Short Course Worlds.

NCAA dominance yielded four straight backstroke titles, two Swimmer of the Year awards, and Pac-12 Scholar-Athlete honors in 2017, while Pan Pacific triumphs in 2018 netted three golds and meet MVP status.