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What's the story?
Legendary Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps came out to the public and admitted that he contemplated on ending his life right after the 2012 London Olympics after attaining an 'all-time low' following the Olympics.
The 32-year-old American legend, during a discussion with political strategist David Axelrod at the Fourth Annual Conference of the Kennedy Forum, was quipped saying that he pondered on the decision but was thankful he did not take his own life.
In case you didn't know...
Michael Phelps is one of the most decorated Olympians of all time, having won 23 gold medals right through his illustrious career apart from leading the United States swimming team during his peak.
The heart of the matter
Right after the 2012 London Olympics, in which Phelps clinched four gold medals and two silver medals, the American claimed that he was traumatised and locked himself in his room for close to three-five days.
The Olympian was quoted by CNN as saying, "Really, after every Olympics, I think I fell into a major state of depression," and added that he even thought about quitting the sport and committing suicide.
The recent reveal comes after Phelps spoke to the public about the second time he considered taking his own life, which was after his second DUI arrest in 2014 for drunken driving that also saw him taking a hiatus on his swimming career.
Following his retirement from competitive swimming post the 2016 Rio Olympics, the 32-year-old has been forthright in taking his fans and the public through his career which has been a mix of tremendous success and a major chunk of obstacles in the form of depression and anxiety issues.
However, he was also quoted saying, "Those moments and those feelings and those emotions for me are light years better than winning the Olympic gold medal. I am extremely thankful that I did not take my life."
What's next?
Post-retirement, Phelps has devoted his time to the Michael Phelps Foundation, which offers stress management programs to those who endure physical as well as mental problems during their career, which will see a lot of youngsters benefiting from his confidence-boosting presence.
Author's take
In short, it's not unusual to undergo depression and experience anxiety. However, it is of paramount need for the top athletes to overcome their issues and go higher in their career, an example of which is portrayed in the form of Michael Phelps.
