Michael Phelps is considered to be the greatest Olympian swimmer of all time. He is also the most decorated Olympian of all time with a total of 28 medals.
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His success story is of courage, hard work, and determination. As he once said, “You can’t put a limit on anything.
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Born in Maryland, Phelps is the youngest of three children. His mother was a middle school principal and his father was a retired State Trooper.
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When he was just 9 years old, his parents got divorced. Phelps mentioned in an interview that the divorce negatively impacted him and his siblings. His relationship with his father was also distant for a few years after the divorce.
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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. When Phelps was in the sixth grade, he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
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By the age of 10, he held a national record for his age group. He began to train at an aquatic club under a coach. More age group records followed, and as of August 21, 2018, Phelps still held 11 age group records.
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At the age of 15, Phelps qualified for the 2000 Olympics. He became the youngest male to make a U.S. Olympic swim team in 68 years. Even though he did not win a medal, he did make the finals.