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Michael Phelps once opened up about dealing with mental health struggles and hardships after his retirement. The American athlete reflected on his career and shared that he had a very strict and scheduled routine throughout the course of 25 years while he trained to become the best; however, he shared that the COVID-19 pandemic brought about a massive change in his routine.
Phelps has been vocal about his struggles with mental health and has often spoken about the importance of reaching out for help. Despite the hardships, the American athlete emerged stronger after every setback to become one of the greatest swimmers of all time.
The 'Baltimore Bullet' spoke about being derailed from his disciplined routine in an interview with CNBC in January 2021. Michael Phelps shared that having a fixed routine helped him to be in control of all aspects of his life; however, the uncertainty brought by the pandemic forced him to have a completely different approach.
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“Being somebody who’s traveled so much throughout my career and has been on a strict, scheduled routine for 20 to 25 years, [the pandemic] threw a big wrench into the to the equation. Throughout my career, I controlled everything that I could [to be] pretty damn perfect,” he said.
Phelps expressed that he had been forced to learn more about himself during the pandemic, which gave him a different outlook about dealing with hardships and mental health struggles.
“Through the mental health struggles that I’ve had this year, I’ve been forced to learn, and for lack of a better term, like ‘sit in my own s---.I feel like I’ve learned so much about myself during the pandemic," he added.
Michael Phelps' advice to the younger generation
Michael Phelps' shared valuable advice with students during his appearance on CSUF’s “Beyond the Conversation” series. The legendary swimmer urged the younger generation to chase their goals and never give up on their dreams.
He motivated the youth to dedicate their complete efforts towards their goals and shared an anecdote from his life when people did not believe in his dreams.
“There’s a path for every single one of us. But I will say: Never give up on a dream or a goal that you have – no matter how hard it gets. As long as you’re giving your everything, you’re putting your heart and soul into it, you can accomplish literally everything. I had people my whole entire life tell me that wasn’t possible," he said.
Furthermore, he urged everyone to pay attention to their mental as well as physical health regularly.
“I would urge every one of you to do those two things: Pay attention to your mental and physical health. If we’re not, we’re not giving ourselves the best chance," he added.
Michael Phelps hoped to continue to inspire the upcoming generation and expressed that he believes that his life outside the pool would have a greater impact.
