"I told him how proud I was of him"- When Michael Phelps mother opened up about receiving 'big announcement' in his final Olympic appearance

Michael Phelps' mother once opened up about being excited to hear a 'big announcement' from the swimmer in his final Olympic appearance in Rio. Debbie Phelps shared that she received a text message from her son with a short instruction that raised a lot of anticipation.

It was right after she landed in Rio watch Michael Phelps compete in his fifth consecutive Olympic apperance. Debbie Phelps recalled that Michael had sent her a text message requesting her to wake up early for a major announcement before the commencement of the quadrennial games.

However, Michael Phelps could not hold on to his excitement and shared that he had been elected to be the standard bearer in the opening ceremony of the Rio Olympics. Phelps accepted the honor that was bestowed upon him by his teammates. The American swimmer had previously opted out of the opening ceremony of multiple Olympic games as he would compete in the 400m individual medley event that was scheduled exactly a day after the commencement ceremony of the games.

His mother Debbie Phelps spoke about receiving the surpirse in an interview with People and said:

“He was so excited. I told him how proud I was of him and what an honor it was to be selected by his teammates.”

Phelps mother shared that she beamed with pride as he lifted the American flag during the opening ceremony of the major games.

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When Michael Phelps opened up about his plans after retirement

Michael Phelps spoke about his plans after retirement in an interview with SI. The American athlete shared that he wanted to takes some time off from his busy training schedule and shared that he wanted to things that he did not get a chance during his career as a professional swimmer.

Moreover, he expressed his desire to travel the world and take a vacation. He revealed that even though he had the opportunity to travel to multiple countries for his races, he never had the chance to expolore the place.

“After I retire, I want to take time for myself, golfing, and doing things I haven’t been able to experience. I’ve never really taken a vacation. I want to travel and experience the world. I know that may sound strange, but while I have been to a lot of great countries, I’ve only seen the airport, pool, and hotel. We never have a chance to get out and explore. I’ll always be involved in swimming, just in a different way," he said.

Furthermore, he hoped to enjoy his retirement by exploring multiple other avenues and enjoying his time with his family.