Michael Phelps is considered the greatest swimmer of all time. He won a total of 28 Olympic medals, including 23 gold medals, over his career competing in five Olympic Games from 2000 to 2016. Some key accomplishments include winning 8 gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, and breaking the record for most Olympic gold medals with 19 total at the 2012 London Olympics. Phelps' success was due to his immense dedication to training, practicing up to 6 hours a day, 6 days a week, and consuming over 12,000 calories per day to fuel his intense workouts. After retiring from swimming, Phelps has expressed interest in pursuing a career in professional golf.

1. Michael Phelps:
From a weak boy to the Olympic Star

2. Childhood
Phelps was born on June 30, 1985, and grew up
in the Baltimore suburb of Towson. His mother,
Debbie, is an administrator with the Baltimore
County school system. He has two older sisters.
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).
“At first, I was a little scared to put my head
underwater, so I started with the
backstroke”.

3. 2000 Sidney
By the age of 10, he held a national record for his age
group, and Phelps began to train at the North
Baltimore Aquatic Club. More age group records
followed, and Phelps's rapid improvement
culminated in his qualifying for the 2000 Summer
Olympics at the age of 15 and becoming the
youngest male 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.

4. 2004 Athens
Gold 100 m butterfly
Gold 200 m butterfly
Gold 200 m individual medley
Gold 400 m individual medley
Gold 4×200 m freestyle relay
Gold 4×100 m medley relay
Bronze 200 m freestyle
Bronze 4×100 m freestyle relay

5. 2008 Beijing
At Beijing Phelps again entered eight events and this
time he came thru with a victory in all eight,
becoming the first Olympian to win eight gold
medals at one Olympic Games. It was a real
triumph!
“The more
you dream the more
you achieve”.

6. 2021 London
In London Phelps won his
19th Olympic medal in the
4x200m relay.
He had finally broken the
record held by Larisa
Latynina. The gymnast from
the former Soviet Union was
awarded the last of her 18
medals in 1964. Latynina was
present at the race and asked
to be the presenter of
Phelps's medal, but was told
that Olympic rules would not
allow it. She called Phelps “I think that everything is possible as long as
deserving of the record you put your mind to it and you put the work
and time into it. I think your mind really
controls everything”.

7. Phelps says his Olympic swimming
career is over but adds he wants to keep
swimming, but now in oceans: "I've
always wanted to dive with great whites.
Sharks are one of my favorite animals in
the world."
“Swimming is normal for me. I'm
relaxed. I'm comfortable, and I know
my surroundings. It's my home”.

8. The secrets of his success
In peak training phases, Phelps swims
minimum 80,000 meters a week, which is
nearly 50 miles. He practices twice a day,
sometimes more if he’s training at altitude.
Phelps trains for around five to six hours a
day at six days a week. To give himself some
additional entertainment in the water,
Phelps listens to music during his long
workouts with waterproof headphones.
Swimming in the water, especially that long,
can be pretty boring. Listening to music can “I can't remember the last day I
provide that extra spark to your workout. didn't train”.
Special diet
Everyone is amazed to hear that anyone could possibly consume 12,000
calories each day, but Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps’ diet includes lots
of food when he is training. Phelps trains six days a week and exercises five
hours a day, so he is using up the calories that he consumes.

9. "Breakfast of Champions"
Phelps starts his day by
eating three fried-egg
sandwiches loaded with
cheese, lettuce, tomatoes,
fried onions and
mayonnaise.
He follows that up with two
cups of coffee, a five-egg
omelet, a bowl of grits,
three slices of French toast
topped with powdered
sugar and three chocolate-
chip pancakes.

10. Lunch
At lunch, Phelps
gobbles up a pound
of enriched pasta
and two large ham
and cheese
sandwiches slathered
with mayo on white
bread - capping off
the meal by
chugging about 1,000
calories worth of
energy drinks.

11. Dinner
For dinner, Phelps
really loads up on the
carbs - what he needs
to give him plenty of
energy for his five-
hours-a-day, six-days-
a-week regimen - with
a pound of pasta and
an entire pizza.
He washes all that
down with another
1,000 calories worth of
energy drinks.

12. Michael Phelps Foundation
In 2008 Michael established the Michael Phelps Foundation with a bonus of $1
million from his long-time partner, Speedo. The foundation promotes healthy
and active lifestyles especially for children.
The organization extends
opportunities so that
talented individuals can
participate in national and
international swimming
events. The Michael
Phelps Foundation has
helped many individuals
achieve their dreams and
the organization vows to
work harder to introduce
more programs to help
achieve the youngsters
reach their goals.

13. Golf
Michael Phelps has a
keen interest in golf
which explains why he
plans the post Olympic
career move in Golfing.
He also comments "As I
enter this next chapter of
my life, I think I will be
able to shift my
competitiveness to
anything I put my mind
to and golf is one of the
things I want to focus on”.
“Even in high school, I'd tell my mom I was sick of swimming and wanted
to try to play golf. She wasn't too happy. She'd say, 'Think about this.' And
I'd always end up getting back in the pool”.

14. “I want to be able to look back and say, 'I've done everything I can, and I
was successful.' I don't want to look back and say I should have done
this or that. I'd like to change things for the younger generation of
swimmers coming along.”

15. Thank you for your attention!