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Michael Phelps is a vocal advocate for mental health. Lauded as the most decorated Olympian in history, Phelps openly speaks about his struggles with depression.
While the former American swimmer is considered 'superhuman' by fans, he continues to prove that he is every bit human and has had struggles in the past.
Michael Phelps recently shared the experience of growing up as a kid with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The athlete said that he had trouble with his neurodevelopmental disorder.
Speaking about his childhood, the American said that he was involved in several sports to drain the excess energy from his body. The swimmer opened up about his childhood in an episode of Comeback Stories with hosts Darren and Donny.
Opening up about his struggles with ADHD, Michael Phelps said:
“Growing up, I was a normal athletic kid. I would go from the baseball field to the soccer field to the lacrosse field to the swimming pool. Just trying to get as much energy as I could out of my system. Growing up with ADHD, I could never sit still. I noticed the way I was always moving around or fidgeting with something.”
The swimmer went on to add that he began focusing his energy on swimming at the age of 11.
“I stopped all the other sports and focused on that (swimming). I think my childhood was a normal childhood just because I was doing everything I wanted to do. Everything I did in my career was a dream of mine and it started as a child."
When asked about bad memories from his childhood, Phelps recalled that he was a victim of bullying at school. He spoke about how he grew up without many friends:
“I remember getting picked on as a kid.. for having big ears, for the shape of my legs, for wearing.. I don’t want to say speedo but everybody knows it.. briefs, a swimsuit. I didn’t have too many friends growing up. I was kind of in my own world. For me, everything I wanted to do was in the swimming pool so I kind of stepped far from everybody else…. I never really thought about the pain that probably caused me as a kid.”
Watch Michael Phelps talk about his struggles growing up here:
Michael Phelps opens up on depression
The Olympic gold medalist opened up to Outside The Lines in 2020 about his struggles with depression in the past. Speaking about his darkest days, Michael Phelps mentioned how he even considered taking his own life. The swimmer, who is well known for his dietary choices, reportedly broke all his diet/workout schedules during that time. He shared how he confined himself to his room without food and sleep.
However, the athlete was able to fight through and overcome the struggle. Phelps spent 45 days in a behavioral rehabilitation facility before preparing for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. According to fellow Baltimore athletic legend and friend Ray Lewis, Phelps struggled to 'find out who he was outside the pool'.
The swimmer overcame his struggles and put forth an impressive display in Rio, adding five gold medals and one silver to his tally. Having officially retired from the sport, Phelps is now a vocal ambassador for mental health.
