Michael Phelps is a swimming sensation who's made sports history. The 23 year-old swimming star took the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing by storm by winning eight gold medals, bringing his grand total of gold medals to 14! Now he has done it again, breaking a new record. Michael Phelps has won 19 Olympic medals, the most of any Olympic athlete.
Michael's First Dip
Michael Phelps started swimming at the age of five. As a kid, Michael was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). At the age seven, he started swimming partly because he could release all that extra energy in the pool. At first, Michael was scared to even put his face in the water but before long he was swimming competitively. When he was 11, Michael Phelps met his long-time swimming coach, Bob Bowman, who knew right away that Phelps had what it took to be an exceptional athlete.
Teenage Swimming Star
Michael Phelps made history by qualifying for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, when he was just 15-years-old. By qualifying for the 2000 Olympics, Michael Phelps became the youngest member of the US Olympic team since 1932. Phelps finished fifth in the 200 meter butterfly and shattered the 15-16 National Age Group record. Five months after the Olympics, Phelps became the youngest world record holder in history by setting a new record in the 200 meter butterfly at the World Championships in Japan.
Olympic Glory
At the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, Michael Phelps won eight medals - including six golds! Four years later at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Michael took his game to a whole new level as he completely dominated. Michael made history by being the only Olympic athlete to ever win eight gold medals! Not only did he win eight golds, he won each race in world-record fashion. At the 2012 London Olympics, Michael won his 19th medal, making him the most adorned Olympic athlete ever. No doubt, Michael will go down as one of the greatest (if not best) Olympians ever!
Fun Facts
- Michael Phelps is 6'4" tall and weighs 200 pounds.
- Michael Phelps' nicknames are "MP" and "Gomer".
- Michael Phelps needs to wolf down a lot of calories to have the energy for all his swimming. For breakfast, he often eats two egg-and-cheese sandwiches, a bowl of grits, a large omelet and a tall stack of chocolate chip pancakes.
- Michael Phelps comes from a family of swimmers. His sister, Hilary, swam for the University of Richmond and his sister, Whitney, swam at the 1996 Olympic Swimming Trials.
- Michael Phelps is sponsored by Visa, Speedo, PowerBar, At&T Wireless, Omega and Kellogg's.
- Michael Phelps has made an estimated $5 million per year in endorsements, plus a $1 million bonus from swimsuit maker Speedo for winning eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games.
- Michael Phelps attends the University of Michigan, studying sports marketing and management.
Michael Says...
"It has been nothing but an upwards roller coaster. It has been nothing but fun. The biggest thing is nothing is impossible. All it takes is imagination."
- Click here to wrestle, swim and run your way to online gold medal glory.
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