"I saw there were so many people struggling the same way I was"- Michael Phelps opens up about adding mental health avenue in his eponymous foundation

Michael Phelps talked about adding the mental health avenue in his eponymous foundation, saying that he saw several others struggling like he did. Phelps retired from competitive swimming in 2016 but continues to inspire the young generation of athletes.

Phelps made his Olympic debut in 2000, finishing fifth in the 200m butterfly and walking home without a podium finish. After four years of hard work, he bagged six gold medals at the 2004 Summer Games in Athens. Instead of basking in the glory of his achievements, Phelps felt the post-Olympic depression for the first time. He compartmentalized his feelings and jumped back to training, but could feel his mental health being an issue in the following years.

He considered therapy in an inpatient treatment center for the first time in 2014. Having stayed there for 45 days, the greatest Olympian of all time noticed significant changes in himself and has since been an advocate of the same.

Continuing with his mental health journey, Phelps added the avenue in his eponymous foundation since he saw several others going through the same lows. Talking about that with Jason Howard of A Safe Pool, the 23-time Olympic gold medalist, said:

"Me having my own mental health journey, that's why that other avenue came into our foundation was because, you know, I saw that there were so many people struggling the same way I was. Whether it's opening up about their own mental health journeys, whether it's with depression, whether it's with anxiety, I learned that I could connect with so many other people."

"And when I went through sort of my journey going to a treatment center and learning more about myself, just gaining that extra knowledge was so important. It allowed me to take that step back, look at myself in the mirror, and kind of like who I see. And all that work allowed me to sit here with you today, be a dad of four, and still be on this life journey."

Michael Phelps retired from swimming after the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he won five gold medals and a silver.

Michael Phelps once shared how his wife, Nicole, has been the closest to him in the ebb and flow of life

Michael Phelps and his wife at Harold & Carole Pump Foundation 2023 Gala - Source: Getty

Michael Phelps met Nicole Johnson at the 2007 ESPY Awards. The two hit it off and began dating in 2009, but were on and off in their relationship at the start. They got engaged in 2015 and tied the knot in 2016 and have since welcomed four sons, Boomer, Beckett, Maverick, and Nico.

Phelps' wife has seen him struggle with anxiety and depression as well. She stood by him like a pillar and helped him navigate his mental health journey. He spoke to Today about the same in 2022.

"For 15 years, Nicole has seen me go up and down. There’s no other person that would be able to support me like she has. She’s the glue that holds all of us together.”

Michael Phelps' coach, Bob Bowman, who helped him to 28 Olympic medals, was also an integral part of his journey, both in and out of the pool.