Besides Phelps athletic ability, something really impressive is how he has handled life. We've read in recent articles about how his father left the family when Michael was young and how his dad has not had much communication with him. In many young men, this could seriously result in self-doubt. Isn't it impressive how Michael has maintained a belief in himself yet been so humble?
He also has ADHD, at least he did as a child, so is it not extremely impressive how he has been able to overcome this and keep his focus? I read somewhere that he asked his mom to take him off his medication when he was only 11.
Michael has had to overcome things in life that some people might use as an excuse for their misbehavior or as an explaination for their failure to succeed. In light of all of this, aren't the 8 golds all the more impressive?
Young, bored, restless - must be ADHD! (The garbage diagnosis of the 20th century.)
Phelps has a loving, swimming family and a father figure in Bowman. All fine.
He has certain genetic attributes.
He worked and works hard.
Oliver Sacks wrote a very interesting article on why Michael Jordan could not achieve the same success in baseball. Being excellent in one sport does not equate to being excellent in another sport, even if you had started Sport B at the same age you started Sport A and put in equivalent training, had the same excellent coaching, and so on.
It does not strike me that Michael Phelps had unusual difficulties to surmount. A lot of things did work out for him. He is a phenomenon, in the sense that a number of unusual attributes, logistics, coaching-trainee effect, teammates, and plain luck all came together for him - against the odds, statistically.
VB
Young, bored, restless - must be ADHD! (The garbage diagnosis of the 20th century.)
Phelps has a loving, swimming family and a father figure in Bowman. All fine.
He has certain genetic attributes.
He worked and works hard.
Oliver Sacks wrote a very interesting article on why Michael Jordan could not achieve the same success in baseball. Being excellent in one sport does not equate to being excellent in another sport, even if you had started Sport B at the same age you started Sport A and put in equivalent training, had the same excellent coaching, and so on.
It does not strike me that Michael Phelps had unusual difficulties to surmount. A lot of things did work out for him. He is a phenomenon, in the sense that a number of unusual attributes, logistics, coaching-trainee effect, teammates, and plain luck all came together for him - against the odds, statistically.
VB
