Michael Phelps: 23 Olympic Golds & Inspiring Journey

Who is Michael Phelps?

Michael Phelps was born in Baltimore, Maryland, USA on June 30, 1985. At the age of 7 he was instructed how to swim and since then, Michael Phelps has adored the water a great deal.

Michael Phelps turned into a swimming legend. He has a total of 28 Olympic medals and most especially of which are 23 gold medals, making him the largest collection of gold medals among the athletes. In 2008, he did history by becoming the first-ever winner of 8 gold medals in one Olympic game.

Early Life

He grew up with 2 older sisters and an encouraging father (a state trooper and an athlete called Fred) and mother (a school principal called Debbie).

He has been diagnosed with ADHD as a hyperactive child with a lot of energy. Swimming aided him to concentrate.

Coach Bob Bowman trained him since a tender age. They had a partnership of more than 15 years.

Rise to Swimming Fame

When he was 15 years old, he was the youngest American male swimmer to ever have been selected in an Olympic team in 68 years. At the 2000 Sydney Games, he was 5th in 200 m butterfly.

At 15 years old, in 2001, he made his first world record winning the 200m butterfly.

He won many world championships in butterfly, medley, freestyle over the years.

Physical Build: Perfect for Swimming

Height: 6 ft 4 in (193 cm), with a long torso and shorter legs. This build makes him powerful in water.

Wingspan: about 6 ft 7 in, helping stronger, longer strokes.

Weight: 88–90 kg (194–198 lb), ideal for strength and speed.

Speed and Training

Top swim speed reached about 6 mph (10 km/h), much faster than normal swimmers.

Famous for a massive diet during training—sometimes around 8,000–12,000 calories per day.

Training routine: around 6 hours daily, 6–7 days a week—swimming thousands of meters plus strength building.

Olympic Success

Athens 2004: 6 gold, 2 bronze.

Beijing 2008: 8 gold—record for most golds at one Games.

London 2012: 4 gold, 2 silver.

Rio 2016: 5 gold, 1 silver.

His total Olympic medals: 23 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze.

Life After Swimming & Personal Life

First retire after 2012, and returned in 2016. There upon bowed out of the world forever.

Lives in Paradise Valley, Arizona, with wife Nicole Johnson (married 2016) and their four sons.

Swim coach, NBC Olympic TV-commentator.

Golf fan and a fan of the Baltimore Ravens football team.

Mental Health & Kind Heart

Struggled with depression and thoughts of suicide after 2012. Since then, he’s an advocate for mental health and therapy.

Founded the Michael Phelps Foundation for water safety, healthy living, and teaching kids to swim.

Known for a caring heart—after races, he’d always reach out to young fans.

Net Worth and Earnings

By 2023-2025, it has been estimated his net worth to be some 80-120 million USD collected as a result of prizes, endorsements, speaking, and businesses.

Such endorsements come with major brands such as Speedo, Under Armour, Subway, Visa with each one pocketing millions every year.

His income and legacy are also contributed by all this foundation and other work.

Final Note

Michael Phelps is not a swimmer only. He is a loving father, activist of mental health, coach and a hero of young athletes. There is hope in his life: tough exercise in pools to torment in his mind and rising against all odds to shine in both the waters as well as in the world.

Michael Phelps motivates us to swim, dream and care, are big hard and deeply, to ourselves as well as other people.

FAQs

Q: What is Michael Phelps’ height and weight?

A: He is 6 ft 4 in (193 cm) and weighs around 194 lb (88 kg).

Q: How many Olympic medals did he win?

A: He has 28 medals: 23 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze.

Q: How many calories did he eat?

A: During peak training, he consumed around 8,000–12,000 calories/day.

Q: What’s his net worth?

A: About $100 million (estimates range $80–120M).

Q: Is he married?

A: Yes, to former Miss California USA Nicole Johnson since 2016.

Q: Does he coach?

A: He volunteers as a swim coach at Arizona State and offers swim clinics.

Q: What about his mental health?

A: He battled depression and thoughts of suicide, and now openly supports mental health therapy.

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