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?
Debbie/Debi Thomas, the figure skater, did go on to become an orthopedic surgeon and is in practice (per Wikipedia). She had some hurdles to get over: prejudiced judges (when she was young), no money for lessons. Many elite sports figures do seem to have difficulty adjusting when their elite days are behind them. They have to be single-minded (usually) to get as far as they do, then next year they are old news.
Debbie/Debi Thomas, the figure skater, did go on to become an orthopedic surgeon and is in practice (per Wikipedia). She had some hurdles to get over: prejudiced judges (when she was young), no money for lessons. Many elite sports figures do seem to have difficulty adjusting when their elite days are behind them. They have to be single-minded (usually) to get as far as they do, then next year they are old news.
