Michael Phelps: Struggles of the Greatest Swimmer
Starting Out
Michael Phelps started swimming at the age of 7 at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club. Training extensively under coach Bob Bowman, he quickly discovered his talent as he was able to break multiple age group records. His future was as bright as his work ethic, and his perfect swimming physique seemed to make him destined for greatness.
Glory at the Olympics
Indeed, his future was certainly bright. At only the age of 15, he successfully had his first US Olympic team headed for Sydney, Australia. He placed 5th in the 200 meter butterfly, and although he didn’t win any medals at the time, that was just the beginning of his career. He returned for the 2004 Olympics where he won 6 gold medals, two bronze, and broke a world record and 2 Olympic records.
In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Phelps broke swimmer Mark Spitz’s record of 7 gold medals at the Olympics. He was able to not only get all 8 gold medals in the swimming events, but seven of those were new world records and the only event where he didn’t set a world record, he still set an Olympic record. His dominance in the water was cemented that year.
In the 2012 London Olympics, Phelps was able to get 4 gold medals and 2 silver. The 2016 Rio Olympics was Phelps’ last Olympic games and he won 5 golds and silver to conclude his.
Over the course of his career, Phelps set 39 world records and won 28 medals at the Olympics. He is the most decorated Olympian with a record of the most (23) Olympic gold medals.
Training:
Phelps’ Olympic gold medals appeared to have come easy to him, since they kept coming endlessly. Every race seemed to end in Gold or Silver for Phelps. Spectators may get caught up in the sheer number of medals and not realize the value and work behind each one. Phelps’ coach, Bob Bowman reported that a typical day of training would consist of 13 kilometers of swimming a day, six to seven days a week. He would be in the pool five to six hours a day and worked through special events like birthdays. In addition to the five to six hours of swimming a day, he would also do weight training at least 3 times a week. To avoid injury, Phelps also had to dedicate time to proper recovery using ice baths, massages, and proper sleep.
To fuel his training, he had to eat between 8,000 to 10,000 calories a day, nearly four times the average caloric intake.
Phelps would sleep 8 hours a night and also take a nap in the afternoon to recover. All that would take up almost his whole day. Phelps essentially had little to no personal time outside of training.
Mental Health Issues:
After the 2008 Olympics, Phelps was burnt out from all the training, and in 2009, he took a break from swimming. During that break, he was caught in a scandal where a photo of him was taken of him smoking marijuana at a party. This picture spread like wildfire, destroying his perfect image and his marketability with companies. Many kids and parents who looked up to him as a role model were disappointed in him and companies like Kellogs’ whom he was partnered with, left him. He was even banned from competing for three months by USA Swimming. His mental health struggles were apparent as the picture showed how he resorted to drugs to escape his pains.
After this incident, he made a public apology and he seemed to spiral out of control. In a documentary with 60 Minutes, Phelps revealed how during that time, he “wouldn’t leave the house” and he “would do nothing” besides “sit around and play video games.”
When it approached the 2012 Olympic season, Phelps got back into training and after the games, it seemed like he was making a comeback, but in 2014 he was arrested for a DUI charge for driving 84 mph in a 45 mph zone and then failing a field sobriety test. This once more crushed his public image and further showcased his instability as he now resorted to alcohol to drink away his problems. Bowman stated, “Honestly, I thought, the way he was going, he was going to kill himself. Not take his own life, but something like the DUI, but worse.” This revealed that it wasn’t just a one-time drunk driving incident, but Phelps was seriously troubled mentally and resorted to increasingly dangerous activities like drugs and alcohol for comfort. Bowman and Phelps's family were worried that such activities would kill Phelps. After news of the DUI charge came out, Phelps holed himself up in his house for four days. “I was in a really dark place,” Phelps said, “Not wanting to be alive anymore.” This incident made it clear to everyone that Phelps would have to get professional help, and that he did. Phelps said that going to rehab was “probably the most afraid [he has] ever felt in [his] life.” After 45 days at a rehab facility, he returned to training with a new resolve. He was banned for 6 months from competition because of the incident, but when he returned, Phelps was back to winning.
Conclusion
Although Phelps is undoubtedly the greatest swimmer, he was not without fault. He was plagued with mental struggles even at the height of his career. After Phelps retired following the 2016 Rio Olympics, he became an advocate for athletes’ mental health and to this day encourages people to open up about their problems. “It’s OK to Not Be OK,” asserts Phelps.
Sources
Mikkelsen, Sebastian. “Swimming, Michael Phelps’ Training Regimen, Diet, Gold Medals and World Records.” Olympics.Com, 5 June 2023, olympics.com/en/news/michael-phelps-training-regimen-workut-diet.
Venkat, Rahul. “Michael Phelps’ Olympic Medals: A Complete Guide to How They Were Won.” Olympics.Com, 5 Sept. 2020, olympics.com/en/news/michael-phelps-olympic-medals-record-how-many-gold-swimmer-world-record.
Tam. "Phelps’ Downfall Was Worth More Than Gold" Youtube, uploaded by Tam, 17 Feb. 2024, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEqNzpVOabs.
Layden, Tim. "Michael Phelps' Rehabilitation for Rio 2016." Sports Illustrated, 9 Nov. 2015, https://www.si.com/olympics/2015/11/09/michael-phelps-rehabilitation-rio-2016.
Commings, Jeff. “Michael Phelps Charged with DUI in Baltimore, 39 Mph over Speed Limit; Releases Statement.” Swimming World News, Swimming World, 1 Oct. 2014, www.swimmingworldmagazine.com/news/michael-phelps-charged-with-dui-in-baltimore/.
Auerbach, Nicole. “Michael Phelps Suspended 6 Months by USA Swimming.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 7 Oct. 2014, www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/2014/10/06/michael-phelps-usa-swimming-suspension-dui/16820993/.
“Michael Phelps Chats with Students about Mental Health: ‘It’s OK to Not Be OK.’” CSUF News, 15 Apr. 2022, news.fullerton.edu/2022/04/michael-phelps-chats-with-students-about-mental-health-its-ok-to-not-be-ok/.
CatClifford. “Olympic Hero Michael Phelps Says the Secret to His Success Is One Most People Overlook.” CNBC, CNBC, 14 Feb. 2017, www.cnbc.com/2017/02/14/olympic-hero-michael-phelps-says-this-is-the-secret-to-his-success.html.