Gold Rush: Michael Phelps and His 14 Olympic Gold Medals

Phelps is unarguably the greatest Olympian the world has ever seen. Winning eight gold medals in the Beijing Olympics is something rarely seen by mankind. He won a gold medal in every event he competed in, beating the record of Mark Spitz who only had seven in the 1972 Munich Olympics in Germany. From the butterfly to the individual medley he seemed unstoppable once he dived into the swimming pool. Coming from Baltimore, this 23-year-old lad, who wears his cap backwards and loves hip-hop music and texting with his friends, is now hailed the greatest athlete in Olympic Games history. But behind the gold medals, the world records, and the swimming cap, who is the real Michael Phelps?

Humble Beginnings

Michael Fred Phelps was born in Maryland, just outside Baltimore, on June 23, 1985, to Fred Phelps, a state trooper for the Maryland State Police, and Debbie Phelps, a former school teacher and now a middle school principal.

Phelps has two sisters, Hilary and Whitney, who, like him, got their athletic prowess from their father. All of them got into the swimming at an early age. His sister, Whitney, had tried out for the Olympic team in 1996, but unfortunately was not qualified. Phelps’ Olympic career never would have happened without his sisters, for it was they who taught him how to swim and how to value the importance of hard work in life.

In his teens, Phelps, whose nickname is MP, was diagnosed with Marfan syndrome, a genetic disorder of the connective tissue. People with this syndrome are often very tall with long limbs and fingers; oftentimes, their arm span is longer than their height. Phelps has a height of around 193 cm, but his arm span is around 208 cm. Medical tests have cleared him of Marfan syndrome, but he was still advised to undergo annual check ups for the disease. Earlier in his youth, he was also diagnosed with an Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, a mental disorder that causes various degrees of inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness.

Between 2004 and 2008, Michael Phelps attended college in the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He took up sports marketing and management.

First Swim

Phelps’ first swimming coach was Bob Bowman, a former University of Michigan head coach, Bowman first saw Phelps in the North Baltimore Aquatic Club (NBAC), and saw his potential instantly. Bowman thought Phelps was a perfect swimmer, with his big feet, big hands, and long limbs. It was here where his career started, competing at the age of 11. Since his school did not have a swim team, he continued to compete for the NBAC. The reward for all his hard work paid off when he qualified for the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Just before reaching the age of 15, Phelps became an Olympic swimmer, making him the youngest swimmer ever to represent the United States. In 2000, he ranked seventh in the 200-meter butterfly and 44th in the 400-meter medley.

Along with his many credentials, Phelps has also been hailed as the American Swimmer of the Year in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2006, and in 2007, as well as the World Swimmer of the Year in 2003, 2004, 2006, and in 2007. In his swimming career, he has already won 48 awards; 40 gold, 6 silver, and 2 bronze medals. He is second to gymnast Larissa Latynina of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic as to the number of Olympic medals won, Latynina having 18 medals and he having 16.

Legendary Athlete

In 2004, Phelps built a name for himself in the Athens Olympics. He opened his Olympic career by winning the gold medal in the 400-meter individual medley in record time. He won more gold medals in the 4×200 freestyle race, 100-meter butterfly, and 200-meter individual medley. His sixth gold medal came from his teammate Ian Crocker, Phelps gave his spot in the 4×100-meter medley race o Crocker because it was his last opportunity to win a gold medal for himself. Crocker won and gave Phelps and the rest of the American team a gold medal, making Phelps finish the Olympic Games with 6 gold and 2 bronze medals.

Phelps’s next test, probably the hardest but the most rewarding was to compete in the Beijing Olympics. He won in all of the eight events he participated in: five individual and three relay events. In most races, Phelps finished more or less two seconds ahead of the other swimmers, and in one race, by a hundredth of a second. But arguably, the greatest feat that he did in the Beijing Olympics was eclipsing Mark Spitz’s seven-gold performance in the 1972 Munich Olympics. Phelps won eight medals and participated in more events than Spitz, making him the most decorated Olympic swimmer of all  time.

A six-four, 200-pound swimming demolition derby, Phelps seems to have been born to swim, or at least that is what his physicians indicate. Many of his physical attributes are at fault for making him the swimming superstar that he is today. These attributes are his big feet, his short legs, his long torso, and his long arm span, which is disproportionate to his height.

Another secret to the success of Phelps is his diet. He consumes around 12 000 kilocalories a day or at least six times the normal intake of a full-grown male. According to NBCOlympics.com Phelps’ diet consists of a five-egg omelet, two cups of coffee, three fried egg sandwiches, three chocolate chip pancakes, a bowl of grits for his breakfast, and, to top it all, French toast with powdered sugar. For the rest of the day, an entire pizza, two ham and cheese sandwiches smothered in mayonnaise, and then he washes it down with 2 000 calories energy drink. And yet, he does not have any fat on his body, for his training regimen consists of a 5-hour-a-day, 6-days-a-week session.

London Olympics

Phelps has confirmed that his Olympics participation will be over after 4 years in London. He said he did not want to compete beyond the age of 30. When asked why, all he said was “I have never wanted to go beyond 30. I may go a few years beyond the Olympics. I told my coach, ‘Do not get any ideas because I do not want to compete beyond 30,’ and he said, ‘That is good because I do not want to coach you past the age of 30.”’

With 14 Olympic gold medals already at hand, he prepares for his next challenge in the 2012 London Olympics in England, where it is reported that he will try to participate in new events. Will it be a different ending for Michael Phelps or will it be his best Olympic performance ever? Another gold rush perhaps, Mr Phelps? (Written With Jose Mari Hall Lanuza).