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Michael Phelps is well-known for his accomplishments in the swimming arena. The 23-time Olympic gold medalist was supported throughout his career by several people. One such person is Nicole Johnson, the wife of the renowned swimmer.
Phelps met Nicole Johnson at the ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) Awards in 2007. The ESPY award is given to appreciate individual performances, team athletic achievements, and other sports-related performances during the calendar year.
The Champion swimmer was there to present an award and Nicole was an athlete guide at the event. Unexpectedly, Nicole was assigned to guide Phelps. That was the first time they met each other. They started dating soon after and the couple felt they had much in common.
It is noteworthy that Nicole didn't attend the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. She felt that her presence at the Olympics may distract the champion swimmer from achieving his goals at the Olympics. Michael Phelps won eight gold medals at the event.
The couple broke up prior to the 2012 Olympics in London. However, they reconciled in 2014 and were engaged the following year. Their plan was to get married after the 2016 Rio Olympics. They got married in a private ceremony comprising family and friends on June 13, 2016. This was prior to the 2016 Olympics. Following Phelps' remarkable performance at the 2016 Olympics, they held a grand ceremony to celebrate their marriage.
Neither Phelps nor Nicole would have known that a casual encounter between the two strangers would lead to a successful relationship when they first met at the 2007 ESPY awards.
Who is Nicole Johnson?
Nicole Johnson is the Miss California USA title winner for the year 2010. She is also the wife of the 23-time Olympic gold medal winner Michael Phelps.
Nicole was born in Colorado Springs. Her father worked as a pharmaceutical sales manager and her mother worked as a science teacher. Johnson graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Southern California.
Before clinching the Miss California USA title in 2010 she participated in the 2007 edition. After her victory in the Miss California competition, Nicole participated in the Miss USA 2010 pageant. She finished ninth in the competition.
The former Miss California has three kids with Michael Phelps. Nicole has been an integral part of Michael's career as well as his personal life. In an interview with Billy Bush of Access Hollywood in 2016, Michael spoke about how he wasn't ready to live his life without Nicole. He also added that he always knew she was the one he was going to spend the rest of his life with.
Michael Phelps at the Olympics
The Flying Fish has had a successful career as a swimmer. He retired after the 2016 Rio Olympics. But his record and achievements will be etched into the history of the Olympics.
He has won a total of 28 Olympic medals. The list consists of 23 gold medals, six silver medals, and two bronze medals. Michael has also won 27 gold medals, six silver medals, and one bronze medal in the World Championships (both Long Course and Short Course). The GOAT swimmer was equally successful in the Pan Pacific Championships as well. He claimed 16 gold medals and five silver medals.
