Michael Phelps’ Mother Joins Fans to Send Important Message on 40th Birthday

Michael Phelps was only 15 when he first went to his Olympic trials on Aug. 12, 2000. The teenager turned for the last 50 meters in fourth place in the U.S. Olympic Trials 200m butterfly final. His mother, Debbie turned away from the Indianapolis Natatorium pool and stared at the scoreboard, preparing consolation speeches. But then again, the man in the pool was Michael Phelps. He zoomed into second place, becoming the youngest U.S. male swimmer to qualify for the Olympics since 1932. Her reaction?

She vividly remembers “turning and looking at the scoreboard and the last wall he hit. The announcer said here comes Phelps and I just continued watching the scoreboard, saying is there gonna be a one or two next to his name and when the two came up I was like O my heavens.” She called it a magical moment. A quarter of a century later, this love hasn’t changed as she wishes him his 40th birthday. What did she say?

Taking to her Instagram, Mumma Phelps wrote, “Sending birthday wishes to ‘my favorite son….my one and only son’ that capture a few special moments..moments one will never forget. ” Debbie Phelps has three children in total—two daughters, Hilary and Whitney, and her son, the greatest to have ever dived into the waters, Michael Phelps, born on June 30, 1985, in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

She further wrote, “From the day that YOU arrived into this big, crazy world YOU have been a force of nature. There are so many words that describe YOU and so many people whose lives YOU have touched and made an impact.” Phelps has been one of the most influential figures not only in swimming but also beyond the boundaries of sports. In 2002, Michael Phelps befriended 7-year-old Stevie Hansen, a young swimmer battling a brain tumor. He visited Stevie before surgery, sent gifts during recovery, swam in a relay to cheer him up, and comforted him during his final days in 2007. He promised him he would win a medal for him in Beijing, and that he would try to make it a gold medal.

Stevie passed away soon after, but at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, when Phelps won the gold in the 400 IM, he said the victory was for Stevie. His mother summed up her wishes as she said, “Always remember today and every day to LAUGH a lot….have FUN…LOVE deeply and on this YOUR special day there is always room for a second helping of ice cream with YOUR birthday cake. Near or far away I am always with YOU❤️. Happy Birthday MP🎈🎈🎈” And how could fans be left behind on such an occasion? They have joined in Mumma Phelps in wishing a very happy birthday to the GOAT, saying along the lines of, “Happy Birthday MP. You are quite the role model and in my mind the GOAT! 🐐🐐🐐”

Fans join in with Michael Phelps’s mother in wishing the legend a happy birthday

Michael Phelps and his fan following are just like water; there are no boundaries to his greatness and no limit to the number of his fans. It could be a commoner or a Super Bowl champion, such is the legacy of this Olympic champion. One of the fans commented, “Happy Birthday Michael! You raised an amazing son. He’s been an inspiration to me. Wish I could swim half as fast as he does! It was always so fun to see you in the stands during competitions and the Olympics!” ESPN has put Phelps’ top swimming speed at 6 miles per hour.

Another instance of his mother being in the stands was when, at the 2012 London Olympics, after the U.S. men’s 4×200 m freestyle relay, Michael had just won gold. Instead of heading straight off the podium, Phelps scanned the stands until he spotted Debbie. The pair locked eyes, raced toward each other, and hugged. “I love you so much,” Debbie Phelps said, as she and her only son began crying together. Her son had his 19th Olympic medal, more than any athlete has ever won.

One fan commented, “your son has changes many lives for good, would love to talk to him one day 🫡,” Phelps has been very open about his mental struggles. Phelps has dedicated his time and energy to promoting the importance of water safety and advocating for the de-stigmatization of mental health problems through the Michael Phelps Foundation. He says, “Through this, if I can save one life, two lives, five lives, a thousand, a million, to me that’s so much more important than winning a gold medal.”

Super Bowl XLVIII Champ Golden Tate took to his Instagram story to wish Phelps. He posted a selfie, writing, “Happy birthday pal @m_phelps00“. In 2022, both were part of Team USA at the Icons Series golf tournament held at Liberty National Golf Club. Michael Phelps teamed up with Ben Roethlisberger, and Golden Tate paired with J.R. Smith. USA secured a victory over Team ROTW. The legend also got a wish from his better half.

Nicole Michele Johnson Phelps made a post on Instagram captioned, “Happy Birthday Babe 💙 30s was a super special decade. May this next decade of birthdays be as memorable as the last. I love you more 😋“. How did they meet? They met in 2007 at the ESPY Awards, got engaged in February 2015, and were married in June 2016. Do you have something you want to say to him on his 40th? Drop it in the comments.