Heather Murphy

Baseball is a big part of Heather Murphy’s life.

Murphy, a scheduler in the office of Rep. Kevin Brady (R-Texas), recalled that she had been to four games in five days as she showed off her boss’s collection of autographed baseballs.

{mosads} It’s no accident that Nationals Park is a second home for Murphy and her husband; they deliberately rented an apartment that’s only a short distance from the stadium.

Murphy, who just got married in May, said she and her husband even included baseball in their wedding vows. Neither side knew it until the ceremony.

“He said, ‘I promise to always invite you to my baseball games.’ And I said, ‘I vow to at least pretend I know what’s going on at your baseball games,’ ” Murphy recalls.

Murphy said working in D.C. has been a lifelong dream. Her interest in politics was inspired by her grandfather, a former drill sergeant.

“D.C. has always been something really special to me,” Murphy says. “It was a dream to come here and work in politics.”

She grew up in the small town of Bedford, Pa., where she says she learned to drive on a truck. 

“People don’t really leave my town,” says Murphy, the first woman in her family to earn a college degree.

Apart from baseball, Murphy also loves trying new restaurants — especially barbecue. She said she and her husband ate barbecue on their first date and even served it at their wedding.

Despite her love of barbecue and burger joints, Murphy, a slim blonde, says she doesn’t have a gym membership or work out. Her philosophy on staying fit is simply balance and moderation.

“Don’t deprive yourself,” Murphy says.

— Cristina Marcos