8-28-2026 4:05am

PHELPS PT. 3:

A Hunt Valley Life Exclusive

"If you want to be the best, you have to do things other people aren't willing to do"

"You can't put a limit on anything" "Nothing is impossible."--Michael Phelps

Some argue that Michael Phelps is not the greatest Olympian. Others view him the greatest athlete of all time, beyond Jim Thorpe, Jesse Owens, Usain Bolt, Bruce Jenner, Carl Lewis...

Competing in 2 Olympiads is considered legendary. With 5 games over 16 years, including 23 gold medals, Phelps has the most. He added 3 silver and 2 bronze. Additionally, he totaled 65 gold of 82 in major world competitions. But some tout others as “greater”.

The "Ravens-hater" Nick Wright said that swimming events are basically the same event so better swimmers are usually repeat medal winners, as Phelps is. “There are more opportunities to win medals. They (swimmers) play by different rules,” said Wright. “It’s a niche sport” said Kevin Cowherd. “Everybody runs, not many swim.”

It has some truth. Does this make him less “great”? The argument only matters in a career that is endlessly overly-dissected in Olympic history and pantheon of increasing Michael Phelps lore.

In many ways his career has just begun and Michael surely does not care. He is spending time as an ambassador for mental health, children’s athletics, his foundation, endorsements, 5-handicap golf, Ravens games and family.

He was last year promoting the Phelps Legacy Pool with his mom, Debbie, who just retired from an equally dedicated career in Baltimore County schools. The Padonia Swim Club renamed the pool after him. He and and his family attended. Phelps and his mom are still active in local community events though Michael lives near Scottsdale, Arizona.

The announcement was: "We are thrilled to announce the Olympia Pool is being renamed the Phelps Legacy Pool, here at Padonia: Maryland’s Largest Swim Club! This is in celebration of the new Phelps Legacy Fund established by Debbie Phelps and the pool is dedicated in her honor. Her children Whitney, Hilary, and Michael competed in the Phelps Legacy Pool growing up, and the family holds records to this day.

Also announced, a large water slide will be constructed at the Phelps Legacy Pool, with an opening date to be announced in the future. You will be able to feel what it is like to slide through the water like a champion! Of course, the lap lanes where the Phelps set records will remain open. New signage and record boards will be added to the pool area as well. During the announcement Debbie said, “We have been to pools all over the world, but Padonia is my favorite.”

The plans were unveiled during Debbie Phelps’ retirement party from BCPS, held at Padonia Ballroom. Debbie is a true inspiration, serving in education for over 50 years. She has now created the Phelps Legacy Fund to further support children through education for years to come.

To me, the miraculous thing about him is his determination, drive, training above and beyond his peers. Where did it come from? More on that shortly.

I’ll admit that I have not watched much of the Olympics since the 80s. I barely saw 2016, but I did watch Phelps. He was the show and we all made sure to catch it. I am not sure how his events rated on the TV excitement scale but I’ll guess 10. Jim McKay, our other hometown legend, would have been proud and I wish he was the anchor during those years. Phelps often trained at the Jim McKay pool, the later-named Jim McKay Natatorium, a large swimming facility in Fairfax, VA at George Mason University.

Every aspect of Phelps performances have been analyzed. The “Phelps Formula” courtesy Forbes:

80,000+ meters weekly: Phelps swam roughly 50 miles per week, split into two daily sessions totaling 5 to 6 hours in the pool. [1, 2]
No days off: He famously trained 365 days a year for 5 to 6 straight years, logging sets on birthdays and holidays to build a psychological edge over peers who rested. [1, 2, 3]
Recovery focus: Paired with grueling physical work, he prioritized deep sleep and afternoon naps (2–3 hours) to recover faster than competitors. [1]

Mental and Tactical Differences

The "No-Negativity" rule: Coach Bob Bowman banned the word "can't" from Phelps's vocabulary early on to expand his mental limits. [1]
Bulletin board motivation: Bowman used real or perceived slights from rivals, pinning critical quotes inside Phelps's locker to fuel his drive. [1]
Visual rehearsal: Phelps spent hours mentally running through race scenarios and worst-case conditions, allowing him to stay completely predictable under immense pressure. [1, 2]
Phelps And Coach Bob Bowman

Many wise men said measure your efforts, not the results. Results will come. Michael learned that maxim early in life, when he was 11. His father Fred worked as a Maryland State Trooper for 28 years and tried out for the Washington Redskins in the 1970s. He divorced Michael's mother, Debbie, in 1994 when Michael was nine years old. The two shared a strained and complicated relationship after that. In an interview Michael said that this was a motivation for him.

Michael said he felt a sense of abandonment, leading to nearly 20 years of emotional distance and minimal direct communication with his father. They reconciled during Phelps' 2014, improving significantly in later years before Fred passed away in October 2022. Coach Bowman and agent Peter Carlisle stepped in as crucial father figures during his rising swimming career.

The reconciliation ocurred during a rehab stay. He checked into a 45-day inpatient program in Arizona in October 2014. Police pulled him over in Baltimore on September 29, 2014, for driving 84 mph in a 45-mph zone. He was charged with DUI and it was his 2nd offense. He received his first DUI charge in November 2004, on the Eastern Shore of Maryland when he was 19 years old. He received 18 months of probation and was ordered to speak to high school students about alcohol awareness.

Phelps later revealed he hit a profound low point during this time and spent days isolated in his room and had contemplated suicide. He calls his treatment a "wake-up" call. He said he had major emotional ups and downs after every Olympics starting in 2004.

He got recurring "Olympic Depression." When it came it could take hold and he battled it all lifetime and career. It can come to every person, and does not judge you on station in life. High achievers are actually more prone to the affliction.

He suffered from severe anxiety and was diagnosed with ADHD as a child. Phelps finally sought professional help through therapy and treatment centers, which he credits with saving his life. He openly shares that his anxiety and depression are never fully "cured," but rather managed daily with continuous care. He hid his pain for years because he worried that showing vulnerability as a male athlete was a sign of weakness or would help his rivals.

Phelps acknowledged "regrettable" behavior and "bad judgment" after a photo in a British newspaper showed him inhaling from a marijuana pipe in 2009 that went viral.

In a statement the swimmer, who won a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Games, did not dispute the authenticity of the exclusive picture published Saturday by the tabloid News of the World.

"I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment," Phelps said in the statement released by one of his agents. "I'm 23 years old and despite the successes I've had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again."

News of the World said the picture was taken during a November house party while Phelps was visiting the University of South Carolina. During that trip, he attended one of the school's football games and received a big ovation when introduced to the crowd.

While the newspaper did not specifically allege that Phelps was smoking pot, it did say the pipe is generally used for that purpose and anonymously quoted a partygoer who said the Olympic champion was "out of control from the moment he got there."

The party occurred nearly three months after the Olympics while Phelps was taking a long break from training, and his actions should have no impact on the eight golds he won at Beijing. He has never tested positive for banned substances. The case never fell under any doping rules.