Michael Phelps (American Swimmer) Biography

Michael Phelps is an American former competitive swimmer. He is the most celebrated swimmer and the most decorated Olympian in the history of Olympics. Thanks to his unwavering determination and rock-solid focus, Phelps went on to make history in the world of swimming. Phelps has created a whopping 39 world records—29 in individual events and 11 in group events—to become the first and only swimmer to do so. Additionally, he has also created the record for being the only Olympian with most number of Olympic gold medals (23), only Olympian with 13 gold medals in individual events, and only Olympian to win eight gold medals in a single Olympic event. Interestingly, Michael Phelps was initially afraid to put his face under the water. He not only overcame this fear but also challenged the attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), which he was facing as a child, to become a master at what he loved doing—swimming! Apart from his back-to-back victories and undefeated feats, his will to better his own records and ability to popularize the sport of swimming distinguish him from his contemporaries and colleagues. After retiring from the sport following the 2012 Olympics, Michael made a comeback in 2014. He then took part at the 2016 Summer Olympics, his fifth Olympics, before announcing his second retirement in August 2016. At the time of his retirement, he had won more medals than 161 countries!

Table of Contents

Michael Phelps Biography

Full Name	Michael Fred Phelps
Nickname	The Baltimore Bullet Flying Fish
Date of Birth	June 30, 1985
School	Dumbarton Middle School, Towson, Maryland, USA
Profession	Swimming

Biodata

Age (as in 2024)	38 Years
Birth Place	Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Zodiac sign/Sun sign	Cancer
Nationality	American
Hometown	Maryland, USA

Physical Appearance

Height	centimeters- 193 cm meters- 1.93 m Feet Inches- 6’ 4”
Weight	Kilograms- 88 kg in Pounds- 194 lbs
Body Measurements	Chest: 46 Inches Waist: 34 Inches Biceps: 16 Inches
Eye Colour	Hazel
Hair Colour	Brown

Educational Qualification

School	Dumbarton Middle School, Towson, Maryland, USA Towson High School, Baltimore County, Maryland, USA
Educational Qualifications	Towson High School in 2003

Family Detail

Family	Father- Michael Fred Phelps (Trooper) Mother- Deborah Phelps Brother- Shane Lee (Cricketer), Grant Lee Sisters- Whitney Phelps (swimmer), Hilary Phelps
Ethnicity	English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, and German

Favorite Things

Favorite Team	The Baltimore Ravens (American football team)
Favorite Food	Corn dog, Pasta, Pizzas, ham and cheese sandwiches
Favorite Actor	Scott Baio
Favorite Movie	Miracle, Tommy Boy

Michael Phelps Net Worth

Net Worth	55 million – 60 million US Doller
Monthly Income/ Salary	3 million – 4 million US Doller
Net Worth	40 million – 50 million US Doller

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Childhood & Early Life

Michael Phelps was born Michael Fred Phelps II on June 30, 1985, in Baltimore, Maryland, USA, to Michael Fred Phelps and Deborah Sue ‘Debbie.’ He has two elder sisters: Hilary and Whitney. While his father was employed as a state trooper, his mother was into the profession of teaching. Young Michael received his education from ‘Towson High School.’
It was Fred’s strong athletic capabilities that his children eventually acquired. Hilary, Whitney, and Michael got into swimming early in their childhood. Though Hilary showed great promise, she opted out of the sport. Whitney took to it for a little longer than her sister, even trying her luck to gain admission into the US Olympic team in 1996. However, it was young Phelps who not only took to the sport, but also exceled in it.
Phelps took to swimming at the age of seven. Initially scared of putting his face in the water, he took to floating in the pool and soon mastered the backstroke. Just when Phelps seemed to get on with his fear, he was diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, he worked his way through the condition with the help of his mother Debbie.
In the early days, Phelps started swimming after being influenced by his sisters. It was also a great activity to exhaust his energy, thereby helping him cope with ADHD. After watching Tom Malchow and Tom Dolan compete in the 1996 ‘Summer Games’ in Atlanta, Phelps started dreaming about making it big in swimming. He then decided to turn swimming into his professional choice.
Phelps started training under Bob Bowman at the ‘North Baltimore Aquatic Club.’ Recognizing the capability and potential of Phelps, Bowman started an intense training program with him. Soon, Phelps found himself a place at the US National B Team.
Breaking quite a few records, Phelps made his way through the Olympic trials to gain himself a place at the 2000 ‘Summer Olympics.’ With this, he became the youngest member in 68 years to represent America in the Olympics. Though he did not win a medal, his performance was incredible; he finished fifth in the 200-meter butterfly race.
At the end of the year, Phelps stood convincingly at the 7th spot in the world 200-meter butterfly ranking and 44th in the 400-meter individual medley.

Michael Phelps At Olympics – In a Nutshell

Michael Phelps has participated in five Olympics, winning a total of 28 medals (23 gold, 3 silver, and 2 bronze).
His first Olympic event was the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. He took part in the Olympics at the age of 15, becoming the youngest male to represent the U.S. Olympic swim team in 68 years. Sydney Olympics was a learning experience for Phelps; he did not win a medal but managed to participate in the finals and finished fifth in the 200-meter butterfly.
At the 2004 Athens Olympics, he won six gold medals and two bronze medals. He won the gold medals in: 100 m butterfly, 200 m butterfly, 200 m medley, 400 m medley, 4×200 m freestyle, and 4×100 m medley. He won the bronze medals in 200 m freestyle and 4×100 m freestyle.
At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he won eight gold medals. He won the medals in: 200 m freestyle, 100 m butterfly, 200 m butterfly, 200 m medley, 400 m medley, 4×100 m freestyle, 4×200 m freestyle, and 4×100 m medley.
At the 2012 London Olympics, he won four gold medals and two silver medals. He won the gold medals in: 100 m butterfly, 200 m medley, 4×200 m freestyle, and 4×100 m medley. He won the silver medals in 200 m butterfly and 4×100 m freestyle.
At the 2016 Rio Olympics, he won five gold medals (200 m butterfly, 200 m medley, 4×100 m freestyle, 4×200 m freestyle, and 4×100 m medley). He also won a silver medal (100 m butterfly), taking his overall Olympics medal tally to 28, which includes 23 gold medals.

Awards & Achievements

An unprecedented total of 28 Olympic medals, that includes 23 gold, 3 silver and 2 bronze medals, earned within a span of 12 years
26 gold medals along with 6 silver and 1 bronze medal, won at the World Championships
Holds the record for bagging the most number of Olympic gold medals (13) in individual events
Also, holds the record for securing the most number of gold medals (8) in the 2008 Olympic Games, surpassing the record of Mark Spitz (7 gold medals)
Honoured by the Maryland House of Delegates for his unprecedented performances in the Olympic Games
Entitled as “World Swimmer of the Year” eight times and “American Swimmer of the Year” eleven times by the famous magazine ‘Swimming World‘ in between 2001- 2016
Twice awarded as “Swimmer of the Year” by FINA in 2012 and 2016
Golden Goggle “Male Performance of the Year” award six times in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2016
Golden Goggle “Relay Performance of the Year” award five times in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2016
Golden Goggle “Male Athlete of the Year Award” seven times in 2004, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2016
Golden Goggle “Impact Award” in 2016
Honoured with “USOC Sportsman of the Year Award” four times in 2004, 2008, 2011, and 2016
“James E. Sullivan Award” in 2003
“Laureus World Sports Award” in 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009 and 2013
Entitled as “Sportsman of the Year” by the famous American Magazine “Sports Illustrated“ in 2008
Elected the “Athlete of the Year” by Associated Press in 2008 and 2012

Philanthropic Works

Making use of his 2008 Beijing Speedo bonus of $1 million, Phelps set up the ‘Michael Phelps Foundation,’ which aims at promoting swimming as a sporting activity. It also promotes healthy lifestyle.
Two years later, the foundation, along with ‘Michael Phelps Swim School’ and ‘KidsHealth.org,’ conducted an ‘im’ program for the members of the ‘Boys & Girls Clubs of America.’ The program stresses on the importance of active living and encourages youngsters to focus on swimming as a sporting activity. It also promotes the importance of planning and goal-setting in life.
After the success of the program, the foundation initiated two more programs, namely ‘Level Field Fund-Swimming’ and ‘Caps-for-a-Cause.’

Michael Phelps “The flying fish” is one of the most decorated Olympic swimmers of all times, who has earned numerous accolades in swimming, creating various records and surpassing the previous ones. A former competitive swimmer from the United States of America who has made the world shell-shocked through his swaying performances in water with distinct style to propel forwards, leaving the fellow competitors far behind.

With his intense focus and competitive attitude, he has been able to add numerous records to his name. The reason behind his success is not only his physique but his crave to achieve victory in each of the events he is participating.

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Michael Phelps was born on 3rd July 1985 in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S., as the youngest child of Deborah Sue Phelps and Michael Fred Phelps. The boy inherited love for sports from his father and was encouraged by her mother for swimming. At the age of seven, he started his swimming classes along with siblings. During his childhood, Phelps has seen many ups and downs which were unusual at that age, but that was what made him stronger to fight against all odds. At the age of nine, he was diagnosed with ADHD (attention hyperactivity disorder). In spite of all this, when he was only 10, Phelps set a national record in 100m butterfly event.

Phelps got much influenced by the performance of Olympians Tom Malchow and Tom Dolan at the Summer Olympics of 1996. Post that, Phelps was determined to lead the world of swimming and started learning techniques under the tutelage of coach “Bob Bowman“. In 2001, at the World Championships, he broke his own record, clocking 1:54:58 seconds and bagged his first international medal. At 17, Phelps set five world records that depicted a promising future in the swimming world.

In 2012, the swimmer took retirement from the sport with a commitment to come back. Phelps fulfilled his promise through a dynamic performance at the Olympic Games of 2016 where he cemented his position in 5 Olympic teams (being the first American to earn the credit) and clinched one silver and five gold medals at the quadrennial event. With this triumph, Phelps became the oldest individual gold medalist, and the first swimmer to have earned four consecutive gold medals at an event.

At present, Phelps holds swimming record in 12 age groups and has won 28 Olympic medals, a record for the most number of medals in the history of Olympics that surpassed the swimming records of Mark Spitz, one of the world-class swimmers. The boy once scared of dwelling into the water during his introductory swimming classes, mastered in backstroke technique, earning numerous accolades and setting various records. This young man has proved through his achievements that there is nothing but perseverance that leads one towards destiny.

Phelps has faced many hardships both in professional as well as personal life but never bow down in front of fate. Instead, he confronted all odds and emerged as a winner. Phelps always believes in competing with himself withholding the spirit of sportsmanship during each of his race. His unstoppable energy and ‘never say die’ attitude has made him what the world sees him today. He gives all the credit for his success to constant practice, his coach Bob Bowman, and the inspiration that he receives from his dear ones.

With each medal that he earned, he created a record, making him an ideal for the budding swimmers. The man never let his personal issues interrupt his career and tried his best to sustain at the peak of his sport. His dynamic success at the Summer Olympics of 2016 was a proof of what Phelps believes, “Winners focus on winning, losers focus on winners“. Phelps has co-founded a non-profit organization that holds camps for swimmers belonging to all age groups. He has also narrated two books- “Beneath the Surface: My Story” (2008) and “No Limits: The will to succeed” (2009).

Within a short span of his professional career, Phelps has earned a distinguished place in the swimming world which is hard for others to achieve. Even after taking retirement, he is linked with his sport, encouraging the young budding stars to swim for success being an ideal to follow. We all wish him a bright and healthy future ahead that may inspire the world as he has done until now.

Michael Phelps world record?

Michael Phelps is an American swimmer known as the “most decorated Olympian of all time.” He has set world records by winning 8 gold medals at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. After that, he was considered the greatest Olympian of all time. In Beijing, China, in 2008, he became the most decorated Olympian of all time with 22 medals (11 gold, nine silver, and six bronze).

Michael Phelps Training for the Beijing Olympics?

Michael Phelps is back in the spotlight after winning 8 gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In 2008, he took 4 years of training for the Beijing Olympics. However, he worked hard and managed to win 8 gold medals. His dedication to his sport is admirable and shows how much effort he puts into training for competitions.

Michael Phelps Controversies

Michael Phelps has had a lot of controversies during his career. He overdrank so many times that he got arrested. Also, Michael Phelps has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. He was caught on camera smoking marijuana and engaging in other controversial activities, so he was banned from swimming in the Olympics.

However, he has always been able to handle criticism well. He has even said that he likes to be controversial because it makes him more interesting to people.

Michael Phelps’ Retirement

Michael Phelps retired from competitive swimming at the age of 35. He had an incredible career that spanned over 20 years and included 8 gold medals at the Olympics. One game made the world record; that’s the way he is considered to be one of the greatest swimmers of all time. Phelps said he was done after the 2016 Olympic games and wanted to spend more time with his family.