Exploring Life & Business with Coach Leander Murphy of Coach Murphy Speed Power and Conditioning LLC and CM7 SPARQ

Today we’d like to introduce you to Coach Leander Murphy.

Hi Coach Leander, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I didn’t start out as the athlete or coach people see today.

I was an overweight kid with Tourette’s syndrome and autism. I had crooked teeth, struggled with confidence, and dealt with a lot of bullying. For a long time, I didn’t feel like I fit in anywhere.

Sports changed that.

Athletics became my safe haven—the one place where I felt accepted, encouraged, and seen for what I could do instead of what I struggled with. The way my coaches believed in me and pushed me gave me something I had never experienced before: confidence, purpose, and the belief that I could overcome anything through hard work and perseverance.

That experience changed my life—and it shaped my mission.

I went on to study Exercise Science at the University of Delaware, with a focus on strength and conditioning and a minor in Black American Studies. Through discipline and consistency, I earned the opportunity to compete at the Division I level—something that once felt impossible.

Since 2005, I’ve been working as a sports performance coach in the Alpharetta, Milton, Roswell, and greater Atlanta area. Early in my career, I had the opportunity to intern as a performance coach with organizations like the Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta Falcons, and Georgia Tech from 2005–2007. In 2007, I founded my own company, which has allowed me to build and refine my approach to training and athlete development.

Over the years, I’ve worked with a wide range of individuals—from special needs populations and youth athletes to high school, collegiate, and professional athletes, including Olympians. I also served on the City of Alpharetta board for five years, staying actively involved in the community that has supported my journey.

What makes my work personal is this:

Fitness didn’t just change my body—it changed my life.

Consistent training helped reduce my motor and vocal tics, manage stimming, and improve my executive functioning. It gave me structure, discipline, and a healthier way to process stress. More importantly, it strengthened me mentally and spiritually first—then physically.

That’s why I do what I do.

I don’t just train athletes—I help people discover what they’re capable of. I want every person I work with to experience the same sense of confidence, resilience, and self-belief that changed my life.

Because when you can change the way someone feels about themselves… you can change everything.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road—far from it.

In 2015, I suffered a stroke that changed everything in a matter of minutes. Within 20 minutes, I lost about 80% of my ability to walk and talk. I had three blood clots in a critical area of my brain, and I had to relearn how to function at a basic level.

Then, about four and a half years ago, I was involved in a head-on car accident at 50 miles per hour. Once again, I was faced with a long road of rehabilitation—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Both experiences forced me to rebuild myself from the ground up.

What’s most meaningful to me is that today, most people would never know I went through either of those events unless I told them. The way I move, train, and function daily is a reflection of the work, discipline, and faith it took to come back.

Professionally, there were challenges as well. I was part of two major sports performance opportunities in the North Fulton area that, while impactful, didn’t work out long-term. At the time, those moments felt like setbacks.

Looking back, they were stepping stones.

Those experiences helped sharpen my vision, strengthen my brand, and elevate me as a coach. They played a significant role in positioning me to continue growing and building what I have today.

Adversity has been a constant in my life—but so has resilience.

Every obstacle I’ve faced has reinforced the same belief: setbacks don’t define you—how you respond to them does.

We’ve been impressed with Coach Murphy Speed Power and Conditioning LLC My Brand is CM7 SPARQ SPARQ) is an acronym for speed, power, agility reaction, and quickness., but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
How old was athletes of all abilities from elementary school to Olympic? Also work with the special needs population. I was a PE instructor had a contract for an autistic school for five years until spring 2025. I still work with the new diverse autistic population.

I work with two brothers with Cerebral Palsy, one of the brothers just learned how to walk with a Walker last December I’ve been working with them since 2015

I host an AUsome AUtistic Fitness Class on Saturdays from 12pm-1pm.

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I don’t look at risk the way most people do.

To me, the biggest risk is staying the same—staying comfortable, playing it safe, and never finding out what you’re actually capable of.

I’ve taken risks my entire life. Betting on myself as a kid when nobody saw it. Earning a Division I opportunity through work, not entitlement. Starting my own business in 2007 without guarantees. And stepping into opportunities that didn’t always work out long-term—but still moved me forward.

Some of those didn’t hit the way I planned. But every one of them built me.

I’ve also faced risks I didn’t choose—a stroke in 2015 that took away most of my ability to walk and talk, and a serious car accident years later. Those moments forced me to rebuild from nothing. That changes your perspective real fast.

So now, I don’t chase reckless risk—I take calculated risks with purpose.

If it aligns with growth, impact, and becoming better—for myself and the people I serve—I’m all in.

Because I’ve learned this firsthand:
You can lose opportunities, money, even time…

But if you don’t lose your mindset, your discipline, and your willingness to keep going—you’re never really out.

That’s how I approach risk.
It’s not something to fear.

It’s something to use.

If it doesn’t challenge you, it won’t change you—and I’m in the business of change.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://coachmurphyslaw.com/
• Instagram: cm7sparq
• Facebook: CMSPARQ
• Twitter: cm7sparq