Michael Phelps: Living in the Fast Lane!
I have been thoroughly caught up in all that Michael Phelps has been doing at the summer Olympics in China. When he was only 15 years old, Michael Phelps competed at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, placing fifth in the 200m butterfly. The following year he broke the world record for the event, becoming, at age 15 years 9 months, the youngest male ever to set a swimming world record.
Four months later, he won his first world championship, setting another world record in the 200 butterfly. Phelps caused a sensation at the 2003 World Championships. Not only did he earn four gold medals and two silver medals, but he set four world records. In 2004, he became the first swimmer to qualify for the Olympics in six individual events.
In BEIJING on August 17, 2008 the spotlight shone on just one man.
Sometimes words are not enough. The impish smile – one of pride at his immense achievements this past week – across the face of Michael Phelps spoke volumes as he received his eighth epoch-making gold medal of Beijing 2008.
As a member of the United States’s triumphant Men’s 4 x 100 Medley team, Phelps became the most decorated man in Olympic history: Not only has he broken Mark Spitz’s 36-year-old record of winning seven gold medals in a single Olympic Games, but with 14 gold medals overall, he has won five more than his nearest rivals. For good measure, he set seven world records in winning those eight medals. It was a majestic week by anyone’s standards.
Unlike Saturday’s (August 16) 100m Butterfly final, which he won by the tightest of margins, this was no close-fought nail-biter. It took the US team half of the race to hit the front, but Phelps put them in ahead, and by the time Jason Lezak dived in to swim the final leg the result was a foregone conclusion.
The are a few things that make Michael’s story so remarkable - his mom, his coach, and his outlook. His mom was a single mom who raised three kids on her own. Her support and empowerment are inspiring to every mom and parent. His coach noticed early [when Michael was merely 11 years old] the potential that he had to become extraordinary - telling Phelps’ mother, “He will make it to the Olympics someday.” Finally, Michael’s outlook on trials and opposition is something to pay attention to. He allowed his talking to be done in the pool.
Perhaps the next generation will be saying, ‘I wanna be like Michael!”
