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Michael Phelps recently celebrated his wife Nicole's 40th birthday. Making the most of the occasion, the swimmer penned a heartfelt note reflecting on the journey of their relationship over the course of the past two decades.
Phelps and Nicole first met in 2007 at the ESPY Awards and they began dating two years later. However, the early years of the duo's relationship faced some trials and they broke up multiple times before getting engaged in 2015. The couple got married in a private ceremony prior to the Rio Olympic Games, and have since welcomed four kids, Boomer, Beckett, Maverick, and Nico.
Recently, Michael Phelps celebrated his wife's 40th birthday. Taking to Instagram for the occasion, he shared snaps of their everyday life while reflecting on their journey together, writing,
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“Happy birthday to my amazing wife @mrs.nicolephelps !! 18 years and 4 kids and countless laughs and memories .... Welcome to the 40's Love you!! ....Hope today is a fun one!!”
Michael Phelps and Nicole Johnson reflect on their early life together
Michael Phelps and his wife Nicole faced a rocky road at the beginning of their relationship. At that time, the swimmer was also struggling with his own mental health issues.
In a podcast appearance for Maria Shriver’s Sunday Paper, Nicole opened up about the duo's early break-ups, saying,
“We probably had two or three breakups. It wasn't easy to break up and go our separate ways. But something always led us back together. On the third breakup, we were testing the waters of getting back together, and Michael ended up in a treatment center.”
She went on to explain how she attended ‘family week’ at the centre and learnt the importance of letting go.
“I ended up at family week at that center, and I think that was where I truly learned to heal and learned reconciliation. Because prior to that, I held onto the past—to the hurts and the pains that the other person puts you through. That’s not the way that you move forward and forge a really good relationship. You have to let some things go sometimes.”
Over the course of their relationship, Michael Phelps and Nicole have been vocal about their support for each other. The 23-time Olympic medalist once called his wife the ‘glue’ that holds their family together and has often credited her with helping him navigate his own mental health journey.
