# Michael Phelps Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian of all time, having won 28 Olympic medals — 23 of them gold — across four Games from 2000 to 2016. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics he set a record with eight gold medals in a single Games, surpassing Mark Spitz's 1972 record of seven. His dominance in butterfly and individual medley events over nearly two decades made him the undisputed greatest swimmer in history. ## Quick Facts - **Born:** June 30, 1985 - **Birthplace:** Baltimore, United States - **Nationality:** American - **Occupation:** Swimming - **Category:** Athletes - **Net Worth:** $100M (est. 2024) - **Also Known As:** The Baltimore Bullet, GOAT of Swimming ## Early life and education Phelps was born in Baltimore, Maryland, and raised in the Rodgers Forge neighborhood of nearby Towson. Phelps is the youngest of three children. His mother, Deborah Sue "Debbie" Phelps (née Davisson), is a middle school principal. His father, Michael Fred Phelps, was a retired Maryland State Trooper who played football in high school and college and tried out for the Washington Redskins in the 1970s. His parents divorced in 1994 when he was nine years old, and his father remarried in 2000. Phelps later revealed that the divorce had a severe negative impact on him and his siblings, and his relationship with his father was distant for a few years after the divorce. He attended Rodgers Forge Elementary, Dumbarton Middle School, and graduated from Towson High School in 2003. During his school years, he was a target of school bullying due to his ADHD and protruding ears. It reached a point where he retailiated during a situation and received a suspension. The frustration from this experience fueled his drive into swimming. Phelps began swimming at the age of seven, partly because of the influence of his sisters and partly to provide him with an outlet for his energy. After retirement in 2016, he stated "The only reason I ever got in the water was my mom wanted me to just learn how to swim. My sisters and myself fell in love with the sport, and we decided to swim." When Phelps was in the sixth grade, he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). By the age of 10, he held a national record for his age group (in the 100-meter butterfly) and began to train at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club under coach Bob Bowman. More age group records followed, and as of August 21, 2018, Phelps still held 11 age group records, eight in long course, and three in short course. ## Swimming career Training Phelps has trained under Bob Bowman since he was 11 years old. Bowman swam for Florida State University from 1983 to 1985. Phelps has said Bowman reminded him of a drill sergeant because of his disciplined and regimented ways. Phelps has said, "Training with Bob is the smartest thing I've ever done ... I'm not going to swim for anyone else." After the 2004 Summer Olympics, Bowman was hired as the head coach for the University of Michigan after Jon Urbanchek retired. Phelps joined Bowman at Michigan to train and attended classes over a span of four years, but did not pursue a degree. Phelps served as a volunteer assistant coach at Michigan. After the 2008 Summer Olympics, Bowman returned to Baltimore as CEO at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club. Phelps also returned to Baltimore with Bowman. When Bowman was hired as the men's and women's swimming coach at Arizona State University in 2015, Phelps moved to Arizona to continue training under Bowman. There is a popular myth that Phelps ate 12,000 calories every day, but Phelps has stated it has been exaggerated and that he did not eat so much even in his growing days. 2000 Summer Olympics Phelps's rapid improvement culminated when he qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics at the age of 15, as he became the youngest male (since Ralph Flanagan in 1932) to make a U.S. Olympic swim team in 68 years. While he did not win a medal, he did make the finals and finished fifth in the 200-meter butterfly. 2001 World championships 2001 World Championships 200 m butterfly1:54.58 (WR) At the World Championship Trials for the 2001 World Aquatics Championships, on March 30, Phelps broke the world record in the 200-meter butterfly to become, at 15 years and 9 months, the youngest male ever to set a world record in swimming. Previously the youngest male had been Ian Thorpe, who captured the 400-meter freestyle world record at 16 years, 10 months. At the World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Phelps broke his own world record in the 200-meter butterfly while en route to become a world champion for the first time. 2002 Pan Pacific championships Phelps in 2002 2002 Pan Pacific Championships 200 m medley1:59.70 400 m medley4:12.48 4×100 m medley3:33.48 (WR) 200 m butterfly1.55.41 4×200 m freestyle7:11.81 At Nationals, the selection meet for the 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Phelps set an American record in the 200-meter individual medley and was just off the world record in the 200-meter butterfly. In the 400-meter individual medley, Phelps bettered the world record held by Tom Dolan with a time of 4:11.09, just ahead of Erik Vendt, who finished second with a time of 4:11.27, also below the old world record. In the 200-meter freestyle, Phelps was barely beaten by Klete Keller and in the 100-meter butterfly, Phelps beat Ian Crocker. At the 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Yokohama, Japan, Phelps won three gold medals and two silvers. In his first event, the 400-meter i ## Video game In 2011, Michael Phelps: Push the Limit, an Xbox 360/Kinect game, was released, which promised to bring "the fun, fitness and excitement of head-to-head swimming to your living room." The game received a lukewarm review from ABC News, which observed that "the title would have been better as cheap downloadable content or packaged in a larger Olympic sports world." ## Personal life Phelps with his wife, Nicole Johnson Bob Bowman described Phelps as "a solitary man" with a "rigid focus" at the pool prior to a race, but afterward "a man incredibly invested in the success of the people he cares about". He states that "he's unbelievably kind-hearted", recounting Phelps' interaction with young children after practices. Phelps is married to former Miss California USA Nicole Johnson. They secretly married on June 13, 2016, and the marriage was not publicly reported until four months later. They met in 2007 at the ESPYs, broke up in 2008, later got back together but broke up again in 2010. In 2012 they started to reconcile and ultimately got engaged in February 2015. They have four sons together. The family lives in Paradise Valley, Arizona, where Phelps volunteers alongside Bowman as an assistant coach for the Arizona State Sun Devils swim team. As a teenager, Phelps idolized Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe and modeled his public image after Thorpe. Thorpe initially said that it would be highly unlikely for Phelps to win eight gold medals at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Phelps used the remarks as motivation and taped the words to his locker during the Games. Thorpe was in the stands for the 4×100-meter medley relay, where Phelps was swimming for his eighth Olympic gold medal. When Phelps and his teammates captured the gold, Thorpe gave a congratulatory kiss to Phelps's mother, then gave a handshake and a hug to congratulate Phelps. Afterwards, Thorpe said "I'm really proud of him not just because he won eight golds. Rather, it's how much he has grown up and matured into a great human being. Never in my life have I been so happy to have been proved wrong." Phelps is an avid golfer, and has competed in numerous amateur and pro-am golf tournaments; he considered becoming a professional golfer after retiring from swimming. At the 2012 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, a pro-am tournament in which he was paired with golfer Paul Casey, Phelps set the world record for the longest televised putt in history, sinking a putt from 159 feet away. Phelps has also cited Michael Jordan as a sporting idol of his, and stated that "he changed the sport of basketball". Phelps is also a fan of the Baltimore Ravens and stated that he found his life purpose and desire to compete in the 2016 Summer Olympics after seeking Ray Lewis's advice. In January 2018, Phelps revealed that he has struggled both with ADHD and depression, having contemplated suicide after the 2012 Olympics. His father Fred died in 2022. Phelps made a tributary post on Instagram for his father on October 24. Legal issues At age 19 in November 2004, Phelps was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Salisbury, Maryland. He pleaded guilty to driving while impaired and was sentenced to serve 18 months of probation, fined $250, ordered to speak to high school students about drinking and driving, and to attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) meeting. When Phelps ## Philanthropy .mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner{display:flex;flex-direction:column}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow{display:flex;flex-direction:row;clear:left;flex-wrap:wrap;width:100%;box-sizing:border-box}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{margin:1px;float:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .theader{clear:both;font-weight:bold;text-align:center;align-self:center;background-color:transparent;width:100%}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbcaption{background-color:transparent}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-left{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-right{text-align:right}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .text-align-center{text-align:center}@media all and (max-width:720px){.mw-parser-output .tmulti .thumbinner{width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;max-width:none!important;align-items:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow{justify-content:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle{float:none!important;max-width:100%!important;box-sizing:border-box;text-align:center}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .tsingle .thumbcaption{text-align:left}.mw-parser-output .tmulti .trow>.thumbcaption{text-align:center}}@media screen{html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner span:not(.skin-invert-image):not(.skin-invert):not(.bg-transparent) img{background-color:white}}@media screen and (prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .tmulti .multiimageinner span:not(.skin-invert-image):not(.skin-invert):not(.bg-transparent) img{background-color:white}}Phelps with im program participants (left), Phelps Foundation's im logo (right). After the 2008 Olympics, Phelps used his $1 million Speedo bonus to set up the Michael Phelps Foundation. His foundation focuses on growing the sport of swimming and promoting healthier lifestyles. In 2010, the Michael Phelps Foundation, the Michael Phelps Swim School and KidsHealth.org developed and nationally piloted the "im" program for Boys & Girls Club members. The im program teaches children the importance of being active and healthy, with a focus on the sport of swimming. It also promotes the value of planning and goal-setting. im is offered through the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and through Special Olympics International. The Foundation has since developed two other programs, Level Field Fund-Swimming and Caps-for-a-Cause. The Foundation's largest event is its annual fundraiser, the Michael Phelps Foundation Golf Classic. Phelps stated he hoped to work with his Foundation more after retirement from competition following the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. In 2017, Phelps joined the board of Medibio, a company focused on diagnosis of mental health disorders. ## Timeline ### 1932 — 2000 Summer Olympics Phelps's rapid improvement culminated when he qualified... 2000 Summer Olympics Phelps's rapid improvement culminated when he qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics at the age of 15, as he became the youngest male (since Ralph Flanagan in 1932) to make a U.S ### 1983 — Bowman swam for Florida State University from 1983 to 1985 Bowman swam for Florida State University from 1983 to 1985 ### 1985 — Born in Baltimore Michael Fred Phelps II born in Baltimore, Maryland. ### 1994 — His parents divorced in 1994 when he was nine years old, and his father... His parents divorced in 1994 when he was nine years old, and his father remarried in 2000 ### 2000 — Youngest Olympic Swimmer in 68 Years Competes at the Sydney Olympics at age 15. ### 2001 — 2001 World championships 2001 World Championships 200 m butterfly1:54.58 (WR)... 2001 World championships 2001 World Championships 200 m butterfly1:54.58 (WR) At the World Championship Trials for the 2001 World Aquatics Championships, on March 30, Phelps broke the world record in the 200-meter butterfly to become, at 15 years and 9 months, the youngest male ever to set a world r ### 2002 — At the 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Yokohama, Japan, Phelps won... At the 2002 Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Yokohama, Japan, Phelps won three gold medals and two silvers ### 2003 — He attended Rodgers Forge Elementary, Dumbarton Middle School, and graduated... He attended Rodgers Forge Elementary, Dumbarton Middle School, and graduated from Towson High School in 2003 ### 2004 — Athens: 8 Medals Wins six gold and two bronze at the Athens Olympics. ### 2004 — I'm not going to swim for anyone else." After the 2004 Summer Olympics, Bowman... I'm not going to swim for anyone else." After the 2004 Summer Olympics, Bowman was hired as the head coach for the University of Michigan after Jon Urbanchek retired ### 2007 — They met in 2007 at the ESPYs, broke up in 2008, later got back together but... They met in 2007 at the ESPYs, broke up in 2008, later got back together but broke up again in 2010 ### 2008 — 8 Gold Medals in Beijing Wins eight gold medals in Beijing, breaking Spitz's record. ### 2012 — Most Decorated Olympian Surpasses Latynina to become the most decorated Olympian ever. ### 2016 — Rio: 5 Gold, 28 Total Medals Wins five golds in Rio, finishing with 23 gold and 28 total Olympic medals. --- Source: https://peoplebio.info/p/michael-phelps