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Michael Phelps has made waves in and outside the pool in his life. Apart from being the most successful Olympian and swimmer of all time, Phelps is an avid advocate for better mental health accessibility for everyone in sports and especially children.
A year after his retirement in 2016, Phelps gave a monolog at the Child Mind Institute where he detailed what he would tell his younger self who was struggling to deal with ADHD:
"If I could go back in time and tell my younger self something, I would tell him to believe what's in his heart and never ever give up. You know, that's something that I have lived with my whole entire life and I will continue to live with."
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that usually presents itself during childhood. It may inhibit an individual's ability to maintain attention and control impulsive behaviors while promoting hyperactivity.
Phelps detailed how ADHD affected his childhood:
"I'm Michael Phelps, I'm an Olympic champion and I have ADHD. Growing up, I was somebody who was always constantly bouncing off the wall and could never sit still."
According to CDC's data from 2016-19, 9.8% of children aged 3-17 have been diagnosed with ADHD in the United States. THis percentage translates to six million American children who have been diagnosed. One key feature of ADHD is that most of the children affected are boys. Left unchecked, it can prove to be a risk factor for other mental health and behavioral disorders.
The stigma surrounding mental health has resulted in many people not seeking help for their problems. The Olympic champion talked about how seeking help changed his life:
"It's been something that's changed my life since the beginning. I think that the biggest thing for me is once I found out that it was okay to talk to somebody and seek help. I think that is something that has changed my life forever and now I am able to live life to its fullest."
Michael Phelps on being treated differently as a child in school
Phelps stated that he was treated differently by teachers due to his ADHD and the issues that came with it:
"I had kids, you know, we were all in the same class and teachers would treat them differently than they would treat me. I had a teacher tell me that I would never amount to anything and that I would never be successful."
Despite this, Michael Phelps managed to forge an exceptional career that propelled him to international influence:
"So, it was a challenge and a struggle, but for me it was something I'm thankful happened and I'm thankful that I am how I am. I look at myself every day and I'm so proud and so happy of who I am and who I've been able to become."
The former swimmer now focuses on using his influence to ensure everyone around him has access to mental health help.
