Michael Phelps makes emotional confession while reflecting on struggles and sacrifices needed for legendary career

Michael Phelps is rightfully considered the greatest swimmer of all time after having earned a record of 23 Olympic gold medals. He recently reflected on the unseen sacrifices he made to earn his legendary status in the swimming world.

The former American swimmer recorded 39 world records throughout his unparalleled career to prove his mastery over the sport. Phelps became the most decorated Olympian with 28 medals.

The Baltimore-born swimmer dominated the sport across multiple events, from freestyle to butterfly to individual medleys, for more than a decade. Recently, a fan of Phelps posted an inspiring edit for the legendary swimmer, which reflected on his early years that laid the foundation for his greatness.

Resharing the video on his Instagram story, Phelps highlighted the sacrifice and struggle behind the glamour of success. His peerless career can be attributed to his natural talent combined with his hard work, training for hours every day without a single day taken off, along with his battle for mental health.

"It starts w a dream...followed by goals," Phelps wrote while reposting the video. "No one sees what happens next... the blood, sweat, and tears... to accomplish your dream."

Screenshot of Phelps' Instagram story.

Michael Phelps won eight Olympic gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Games.

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"I don’t like not making the podium" - Michael Phelps opens up on his winning mentality that earned him legendary status

Michael Phelps at the Champions Park of the Olympic Games 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by /Getty Images)

Michael Phelps recently opened up about his winning mentality that helped him achieve greatness in the swimming world. In his appearance in the Whoop podcast, Phelps stated that anything less than winning was unacceptable for him.

The greatest swimmer in the world highlighted the dissatisfaction he would get on finishing in second or third place. Phelps said,

“I put the pressure on myself. I wanted to win every single time I got in the pool. I don’t like to get second," Phelps said. "I don’t like to get third. I don’t like not making the podium. So, for me, it’s one place; it's winning. That’s it. If I don’t win, how can I make sure that never happens again? How can I make sure the next time I’m out there, I’m on top and not second or third?" (10:00 onwards)

Michael Phelps further reflected on the moments when he lost races, adding he would analyze his race to figure out what went wrong to make sure it never happens again.