"Focussed on what I can do" - When a young Michael Phelps opened up on how he deals with stronger competitors

Michael Phelps is one of the, if not the, most famous swimmers ever in the history of aquatic sports. He broke several records and went on to win many medals across competitions in his highly successful career.

He won a record eight gold medals at the 2008 Olympics and broke the record for the most golds won in a single Olympic Games. After his epic performance in Beijing, Phelps spoke with Harry Smith of CBS in 2008.

Phelps answered questions from young swimmers of the Wolverine Swim Club. Some of the topics that the legendary swimmer discussed were about facing competitors stronger than him.

A young swimmer asked Michael Phelps how he maintains his composure without being psyched out by tough competitors. Phelps answered:

"When I go to a meet and when I compete, I step up on the block and I'm focussed on what I've to do. I try not to really get caught up in what everybody else is doing."

The champion swimmer insisted that he never gets psyched out. He also talked about wearing headphones before the competition and said it helps him stay relaxed and focused.

Another swimmer questioned Phelps about whether he ever felt less focused on going to practice and how he overcame it if he felt like that.

Phelps said he played a lot of other sports growing up. But once the legendary Olympian started focusing on swimming, he began setting several goals that he wanted to accomplish.

He spoke about being focused on his goals full-time because he loves it. The 'Baltimore Bullet' added that whenever he went off track, he would immediately think about his goal sheet and the content he had written on it.

According to the 23-time Olympic gold medalist, it would remind him of what he has to do to achieve his goals.

Michael Phelps at the Beijing Olympics

Did swimming lead to great sacrifices for Michael Phelps?

Phelps was also asked about the things he had to sacrifice as a teenager because of swimming. In response to this query, the American sports icon revealed that the biggest thing he sacrificed was his high school days.

One of his friends would go out on Fridays and Saturdays and return late, and there would also be school dances that he missed.

The ace swimmer claimed he had to give up some things as a teenager but wanted the opportunity to do something that was never done before by anyone. He believed that the opportunities he had were priceless. He also has amazing memories and moments that he'll cherish for the rest of his life.

Harry Smith told Michael Phelps that whenever he swims and the camera focuses on the stands, both his mother and sister are always present, but apart from them, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant were also seen watching Phelps swim. Harry asked Phelps if he was amazed to see some of the greatest athletes watching him swim.

Michael Phelps said he saw LeBron, Kobe, George Bush, Bill Gates, and several other prominent people cheering for him and other competitors. The ace swimmer thinks swimming is starting to take off and he feels honored to be a part of the sport and help it grow and attract more people.