Michael Fred Phelps II, the renowned American competitive swimmer, was born in Towson, Maryland, to Deborah Sue (Davisson),a dedicated middle school principal, and Michael Fred Phelps, a state trooper, who worked tirelessly to keep the community safe.
As the 2004 Olympics approached, whispers circulated that 19-year-old Phelps was contemplating attempting to match or even surpass Mark Spitz's legendary seven gold medals record. By his fourth race, Phelps had secured one gold and two bronze medals, making it evident that he wouldn't be able to tie Spitz's record, but instead, he could match Russian gymnast Alexander Dityatin's record of eight medals in one Olympics. Every subsequent race yielded a gold medal for Phelps.
After his seventh race, Phelps demonstrated an extraordinary act of sportsmanship by relinquishing his butterfly leg in the 4 x 200m Freestyle relay to his temporary rival and now friend, Ian Crocker. This selfless gesture was deemed the most remarkable act of the games, but to Phelps, it was simply giving his teammate another opportunity.
Throughout the entire week of competition, Phelps barely managed to catch a few winks, and when he finally got some rest, he checked out the dominant women's teams, enjoyed the culture, and absorbed the atmosphere in Athens. The success in Athens was nothing short of phenomenal. Phelps surpassed fellow American Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals, which had stood for 36 years since the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany.
In Beijing 2008, Phelps achieved another historic feat, tying and breaking Spitz's record. Mark Spitz himself personally called Phelps to congratulate him on his remarkable accomplishments and records, which were meticulously observed by Phelps and his teammates, who went 8 for 8, securing all first-place gold medals.
