Michael Phelps' coach Bob Bowman reacts to former swimmer's motivational speech for Baltimore Ravens

Michael Phelps' coach, Bob Bowman, lauded the Olympian as Phelps addressed the Baltimore Ravens, motivating them to put in the work to achieve what he achieved in his career. Although Phelps retired in 2016, he continues inspiring the younger generation with his legacy.

Phelps had trained under Bob Bowman his entire life and even relocated to Arizona when the latter joined Arizona State University as men's and women's swimming coach. Phelps, under his coach's tutelage, won 23 Olympic gold medals, the most for an athlete in history. He also broke 39 world records during his career, setting standards that every swimmer has since sought to match.

Nine years into retirement, Phelps and his coach, Bowman, still stay in close contact and often extend love to each other on social media. Recently, Phelps joined the likes of former football linebacker Ray Lewis and attended the Baltimore Ravens practice, sharing insights with the players and motivating them to be their best.

Michael Phelps' inspirational speech drew the attention of Bob Bowman, who shared the video on his Instagram story and wrote:

"Love this @m_phelps!!"

Michael Phelps gets lauded by coach Bob Bowman; Instagram - @coach_bowman

In his speech, the 28-time Olympic medalist reflected on his career and shared how he succeeded in the pool through sheer hard work.

"Doors that no one sees that gives you the opportunity to stand out on this field every single week during the season and be great. Coach has got you already, right? But every single day, you have to be on top of those small things. You missed a step, you're giving your opportunity, your opponent something else.

"For me, every single box was checked off. When I stepped up on the block, I knew what was going to happen. My dreams and my goals were bigger than anybody else on the planet, especially in the swimming pool. I worked the hardest. That's why I got the results."

He added:

"So for me, when I step up, it's preparation only. There were times when I stepped up in the 2012 Olympics where I wasn't fully prepared. And I got the results that I deserved. Sometimes I didn't make the podium. Sometimes I got second or third. That's not what I want. I want to be up top. So for me, that's why I came back in '16 and said I'm doing it my way. Because when I retired, I wanted to hang my suit up and say I've done everything I could put my mind to."

Phelps holds the all-time record for Olympic gold medals, a feat that no one has matched yet.

Michael Phelps once thanked his coach, Bob Bowman, for teaching him the most important lesson

Phelps and Bowman at the 2016 Austin Elite Invite - Day 3 - (Source: Getty)

Michael Phelps and Bob Bowman have worked together since the former was 11. Besides teaching him swimming skills, the latter taught the Baltimore native to visualize his races in his mind before he swam, a quality that helped Phelps dominate the pool like no other and achieve the most success in the global domain.

He once shared a post by Business Mindset 101, where statistics of athletes who mentally rehearse were shared. Phelps thanked his coach, Bowman, captioning:

"Thx @coach_bowman"

The 40-year-old was honored with the World Swimmer of the Year award eight times and American Swimmer of the Year 11 times.