SUMMARY
- Michael Phelps made his Olympic debut in 2000 when he was 15 years old and was the youngest on the team at the time in 68 years.
- Michael Phelps spoke about his battle with his parent's divorce, ADHD, and Marfan syndrome in his book, 'Michael Phelps: Beneath the Surface.'
Michael Phelps is undeniably among the legendary competitive swimmers of all time. He broke and made unbreakable records during his more than two-decades-long career. Phelps accomplished everything that other swimmers merely dream of. His journey was an incredible one, however not one without any hurdles. From mental health struggles to potential Marfan syndrome, Phelps has seen it all.
In his book, ‘Michael Phelps: Beneath the Surface’, Phelps shed light on unknown parts of his life. The five-time Olympian revealed that his parents’ divorce and his father exiting his life led to the building of trauma. In addition to this, he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) and the challenges that came with it.
Download Free MOBI Beneath the Surface by Michael Phelps, Brian Cazeneuve pic.twitter.com/ecZk8gI8qV
— Alvin Pugh (@AlvinPugh7) January 9, 2022
Furthermore, all these years fans made a theory that Phelps has Marfan syndrome. The renowned swimmer talked about the possibility of the same in his book while mentioning the early symptoms that he had. He wrote, “My heart rate was accelerating, and Bob suggested I see the doctor. Because I was very flexible and had long hands and feet.”
He continued to explain that the syndrome affects connective tissues and can be fatal if there is leakage to the vessels that lead to the heart. Despite being aware of the early symptoms, Phelps’ mother and coach did not tell him that he was going to get tested for the syndrome. They believed that this would freak him out, and so on, they told him that it was just a routine check-up.
Michael Phelps believes his health depends on the Baltimore Ravens
As the reports came in, everyone breathed a sigh of relief as Michael Phelps did not suffer from the potentially fatal Marfan syndrome. Since then, 28-time Olympic medalist have been getting tested once a year at Johns Hopkins under the direction of Dr. Peter Roe. “The tissues are strong, the aortic route is clear, and my heart is in good shape,” he added.
Furthermore, Phelps in his typical way of adding touches of humor stuff stated that his health depends on the Baltimore Ravens. He said that his heart would be in good shape as long as the Ravens would continue to claim victory. Notably, Phelps who is rightfully nicknamed as ‘flying fish’ had the kind of swimming career that can be an example of perfection.
Notably, Phelps was deemed to be a GOAT from the very start. By the time he reached the age of 10, he was already a nationally ranked-swimmer. Phelps made his Olympic debut in 2000 when he was 15 years old. He was the youngest on the team at the time in 68 years. He retired in 2012 but couldn’t stay away from his love of swimming and came back in 2014.
Furthermore, he played for another two years and retired in 2016. At the time of his retirement, Phelps said, “I’ve been able to do everything I’ve ever put my mind to in this sport.” In addition to this, he stated that he gave 24 years to the sport and he is happy with how things finished. Until now, there has been no one like Michael Phelps, and fans believe there won’t be.