Michael Phelps - The Most Successful American Swimmer

Michael Phelps was born in Baltimore in 1985. Michael was only seven when he and his sisters – Hillary and Whitney got into swimming. His sisters didn’t want to continue, but Michael did. He really loved swimming.

When he started swimming, he had ADHD (an illness that causes concentration problems). Swimming helped him to recover. He decided to become an Olympic swimmer when he was only 11 years old. He watched successful swimmers, worked hard and took part in the 2000 Summer Olympics. There, he became the youngest American swimmer who took part in the Olympics. He didn’t win a medal, but his performance was incredible. He earned the fifth position at the 200-meter butterfly race.

Achievements:

• He has broken the most number of world records in swimming.

• He has won the highest number of Olympic gold medals.

• He is the only swimmer who has won eight Olympic medals in one single Olympic Games (2008 – Beijing).

In one interview, he said, “I was afraid to put my face in the water when I was a young kid.” It is surprising that he has become one of the most successful swimmers in history.