Michael Phelps holds the record for winning the most Olympic events in history — by far! The famed swimmer has 28 medals to his name, including 23 gold medals. But one of the sources of his drive to win comes from an unlikely source: his ADHD. Here's how Phelps has turned his trouble with focus into athletic triumph.
This is the same Michael Phelps who was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 9 years old. Michael said many times that he attributes much of his success to his mother's parenting skills. In fact, his mother, Debbie Phelps, claims that Michael didn't always love sport of swimming.
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Michelle Carter grew up with dyslexia and ADHD.
Since leaving competitive swimming after the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janiero, Phelps has been enjoying retirement in Arizona with his wife Nicole and sons Boomer and Beckett, seven months.
Michael Phelps is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished athletes of all time. He captured more Olympic medals, World Championships, US National Titles, and world records than any other swimmer in history.
American swimmer Michael Phelps has the most individual medals with 28, including 23 goal medals, which is also a record.
Michael Phelps is a retired American Olympic swimmer and corporate endorser with an estimated net worth of $100 million. Phelps is the most decorated Olympic athlete in history, with 28 Olympic Medals (23 gold medals).
Phelps was diagnosed with ADHD in sixth grade. But while he couldn't sit through class without fidgeting, he could swim for up to three hours at the pool after school. By age 10, Phelps was a nationally ranked swimmer. At 11, he met famed swim coach Bob Bowman.
Phelps became embroiled in controversy in 2009 after it emerged that he had been seen using a bong and inhaling marijuana at a fraternity party at the University of South Carolina. Due to this, the swimming sensation lost a sponsorship opportunity.
Michael Phelps is so routinely open about his depression and anxiety that it's hard to remember a before time.
Leonardo da Vinci
His scientific and engineering inventions were equally influential and ahead of his time. According to research, Leonardo da Vinci was reported to have had many symptoms of ADHD.
ADHD Statistics: Demographics, Race & Ethnicity
Black children aged 3 to 17 years are more likely to have ever been diagnosed with ADHD or a learning disability (16.9 percent) compared to white (14.7 percent) and Hispanic children (11.9 percent).
1) Swimming can increase attention span
Kids with ADHD often seem to have too much energy, resulting in fidgety, restless behavior. Swimming is a fantastic way to release this excess energy as it helps with the lack of focus and impulsivity seen in children with ADHD.
Research suggests, in fact, that ADHD may be more common in elite athletes than it is in the general population; up to 8% of athletes have the condition compared to 2% to 7% of the general population.
When Phelps was in the sixth grade, he was fidgety and had trouble paying attention in the classroom. His pediatrician diagnosed him with ADHD and prescribed Ritalin. Phelps took the medication for several years, and it seemed to help.
Did you know that many successful and famous people grew up with dyslexia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or other learning disorders? Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps, actress Keira Knightly, billionaire Richard Branson, to name a few, are all inspirations.
Fun fact: According to CNN, at one point in his Olympic career, Michael Phelps apparently never took a rest day.
"I am getting older, and I do find it harder to recover." He also cited a desire to actually be present more in the cities he traveled to and added: "After the summer, I really don't know what I'm going to do.
Not only the greatest swimmer, with the highest 28 medals in Olympics, Michael Phelps is by far the most successful Olympian of all time. His successful Olympic career along with business ventures has made Phelps one of the richest Olympians of the world.
Michael Phelps is a keynote speaker and industry expert who speaks on a wide range of topics . The estimated speaking fee range to book Michael Phelps for your event is $200,000 and above.
Michael Phelps starts his days early, rising at around 6:00 am. After taking care of personal needs, he hits the pool at about 7:00 am and swims for 2 hours. When he gets out of the pool and dries off, he lifts weights for roughly one hour.
Larisa Latynina and Polina Astakhova each competed for the Soviet Union in 1956, 1960, and 1964. Latynina has the most medals of any female athlete in Olympic history, with 18.
The most Olympic medals won by a woman is eighteen by gymnast Larisa Semyonovna Latynina (USSR), nine gold, five silver and four bronze, 1956–64.