One minute he was an active, healthy young wrestler, competing in a national tournament in his home arena. The next moment he was a quadriplegic, paralyzed for life when slammed to the mat with a broken neck and a severed spinal cord.

For most, such a tragic accident would have marked the end of a life. For Ray Murphy, it marked the beginning of a whole new world, one with many difficult challenges to be met and defeated.

For his success in overcoming those obstacles, and his courageous struggle against overwhelming odds, Murphy was voted the third Medal of Courage of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

A state champion wrestler at Nathan Hale High School in Tulsa, Murphy was an All-American for Oklahoma State in 1968 and '69, reaching the NCAA finals his senior year. His injury occurred in 1971 during the USA Wrestling national Freestyle championships in OSU's Gallagher Hall.

Although he has been gripped by paralysis for more than 25 years, and still requires mechanical assistance in breathing, he has led a remarkable life. His mother, Ferol, has been at his side throughout.

Already a business graduate of OSU, Murphy earned another degree in computer programming at Tulsa Junior College. There he was magna cum laude with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. He never missed a class, never was even late to class. At graduation ceremonies in 1988, he led the procession in his sip-and-puff wheelchair.

Because of the importance of sip-and-puff technology, which Ray uses to operate his computer and other amenities, he has become a national leader in research of new additions to this technique. He also has been employed as a computer programmer by Phillips 66 and other corporations.

In 1989, Ray received national recognition as Handicapped Person of the Year.