Michael Phelps reacts to an unfulfilled wish with Gunnar Henderson's trading card

Swimming legend Michael Phelps has an unfulfilled desire for a trading card. The former Olympic champion wants the trading card of prominent baseball player Gunnar Henderson.

For the uninitiated, Henderson is an MLB star who plays shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles. Interestingly, the Orioles are the same MLB team that Phelps has backed through thick and thin.

Phelps posted about his desire on his latest Instagram story and wrote:

"Need this for my collection! @g_henderson002, @coltoncowser"

Screengrab of Phelps' latest Instagram story about MLB player Gunnar Henderson [Image Source: Michael Phelps' Instagram]

Michael Phelps hails from Baltimore, Maryland, and has cheered for the Baltimore Orioles on more than one occasion. In September 2024, the swimming legend paid a visit to the clubhouse of the Baltimore Orioles before their scheduled match against the Colorado Rockies.

Phelps also revealed his support for the MLB team when he said in September 2024 (via Orioles/X):

"I grew up an Orioles fan. I'm from Baltimore. I spent a lot of time around the organization. We are in Arizona, but this is the team on every day."

Apart from supporting the Baltimore Orioles, Michael Phelps also passionately pursues golf.

When Michael Phelps opened up about facing challenges in improving his mental health

Phelps talked about his challenges with improving mental health [Image Source: Getty]

Michael Phelps once recounted his challenges in terms of improving mental health. In an interview conducted with Healthline in 2022, the former Olympic champion mentioned:

"There are still days where I don’t feel like me. My depression and anxiety aren’t going to just disappear. I’m still learning to just be a human. For most of my career, I saw myself as a swimmer. But I’m not a swimmer, I’m a person — and I have emotions like everyone else.”

Phelps had nearly retired from the sport due to this problem in 2012, though he came out of retirement in 2014. The swimmer from Baltimore also resorted to therapy and medical treatment for the same.

“My journey outside of water is really just beginning. So I’m trying to give myself forgiveness when I slip up, or don’t do something perfectly,” Phelps added.

Phelps has been advocating for mental health awareness. He has also supported the mental health awareness campaign launched by gymnastics sensation Simone Biles after she endured a similar experience at the Tokyo Olympics.

About the author

Animesh Pandey is a seasoned content writer at Sportskeeda with over eight years of experience, having previously worked as an intern for Follow Your Sport before joining SK as a columnist in 2017. A graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing, he also worked at TFI Media Private Limited and contributed as an intern for the movie website Nettv4u.

He has extensively covered events from World Championships to the Olympics, providing insights and analyses that resonate with his audience. His belief in mastering the basics and delivering accurate, relevant, and ethical information through thorough research is reflected in his work.

He was notably invited to the National Sports and Adventure Awards 2018 at Rashtrapati Bhavan after winning a MyGov quiz on Indian Sports, where he engaged with celebrated athletes such as Rahi Sarnobat, Hima Das, Jinson Johnson, Saikhom Mirabai Chanu, and Subedar Neeraj Chopra, who also happens to be his favorite Olympian.

Despite being a field hockey enthusiast, Animesh's most cherished Olympic moments include Wayde Van Niekerk's unexpected world record in the 400 meters at Rio and Chopra's historic gold medal in Tokyo.

When not immersed in writing or watching the Olympics, Animesh indulges in his love for movies, embracing quality cinema regardless of the language.

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Edited by Samya Majumdar