A US Marine from Missouri is “Tough As Nails”

A U.S. Marine Corps veteran from Missouri is competing in Wednesday’s season finale of a television show about the blue collar trades.

Kelly Murphy of Warrensburg Missouri is competing on the CBS show “Tough As Nails.” The show tests its competitors on their strength, precision and mental toughness in job site-type challenges. Murphy competes in Wednesday’s finale for the title of Tough As Nails champion, $200,000 and a new pickup. He conquered his fear of heights he developed later in life by repelling down a building during the show. “One thing that I’ve never done in the Marine Corps is I never jumped out of an airplane. I mean, I’d be willing to try. I wouldn’t hesitate to try repelling again, especially it’d be a little bit different because it would just be for leisure, it wouldn’t be under the pressure of competing for $200,000.”Said Murphy.

Murphy is the Director of the Military and Veterans Center at the University of Central Missouri.