The most decorated Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, has shared many intriguing insights into his life, through his book, Beneath The Surface- My Story. The difficulties that came with his parent’s divorce, his fight with attention deficit disorder, and also some secrets, from his childhood days. He had been an achiever since his youth.

Published in 2004, Beneath the Surface, a biography of Phelps that charts his transformation from awkward youngster to record-breaking superstar, is a must-read for every sports lover.

Michael Phelps and his shenanigans

Letting the readers a sneak peek into his early days, the athlete recalls a few instances of partying with his friends. Being a lover of good food, Phelps had fun betting on food with his buddies.

In the same vein, Phelps revealed, “My friends and I used to make bets about eating food. At an all-you-can-eat buffet one day, we decided to eat all we could.” He further added, “Our table tried to eat the place out of everything, and we nearly did.”

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Even while their tummies would be full, his friends could, “Add a quarter-pound burger for a dessert,” at the slightest hint of a challenge! Once in a while, the athlete further recalled, the magnitude of their dares would rise and so would the stakes.

“Matt made $30 from me once by mixing wasabi paste with soy sauce and inhaling it through his nose,” stated Phelps. Cherishing the little joys of life, he continued, “If you win a penny, you feel you’ve accomplished something.”

Phelps sheds light on the realizations of responsibilities

Even though the legendary swimmer and his friends would need to maintain a strict diet, they were indeed lovers of junk food. Once, one of his friend, Ed Moses, took his father by surprise, when he suddenly started eating healthy. “He knew Ed was serious about swimming the day he first requested lima beans for dinner.”

Additionally, the athlete jokingly stated that he would rather resort to a goldfish than have lima beans himself.

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Watching a person swallow a fish on TV, Phelps and his friend Matt thought of giving it a go. His swimming skills came in handy as he was able to hold his breath during the incident. “ Goldfish aren’t that big, but they start flopping around in there” he explained.

Everyone deserves their fair share of misplaced judgements in their lifetime. Our favorite stars are no different. In the end, this remains a testament to the fact that we are humans.

What do you make of the above story shared by Phelps? Do you agree with his comments?