Michael Phelps accomplished numerous milestones during his two-decade-long legendary swimming career. The “GOAT of swimming’s accomplishments are greater than his height. Phelps is one of the most decorated athletes, with 28 Olympic medals. However, he got his inspiration for swimming from his elder sisters.

While they shared a great bond, there was a time when they used to practice Shakespeare’s lines together. His sisters Hillary and Whitney Phelps have been affectionately referred to as ‘Kate and Pippa of America’ by the media. This is because they were the key reason for Michael’s career beginning.

‘Shakespeare time’ for Michael Phelps and Hillary Phelps

When Phelps was 15 years old, his elder sister Whitney went away to college. However, he had Hillary with him. The Baltimore Sun describes their bonding over dinner on a beautiful day. Once the siblings were reciting the movie lines, they revealed how Michael loves reading dialogues from his favorite comedy movies.

“Can you quote Shakespeare like that?” their mother interrupted little Michael after a while. He also stated how his mother used to force him to come home early, “Debs made me come home early from the Olympics.”

READ MORE: “Barely Emerging from My Coma”: Michael Phelps Opened Up on Not Being a Hyperactive Child in His Biography

The 23 times Olympic gold medalist was the favorite of mother Phelps. The Baltimore Sun also mentioned how the siblings had seen the example. While going to school, their mother used to pack peanut butter with honey for him, whereas Hillary only got peanut butter. However, not only their mother, Michael is loved by his sisters too.

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Michael’s bonding with his sister

In their autobiography ‘Beneath the Surface,’ he penned how during his difficult times, his sister was there with him. He wrote, “Every morning, she’d come back from swim practice with the unenviable task of waking me up. She knew I ate everything; she would throw almost anything on that sandwich, from cinnamon to peppers, and I wouldn’t notice because I’d smother the bread in heaps of mayonnaise.”

At various times, his sister has mentioned to him that he should be aware of the hyperactivity. His sisters stuck by him through thick and thin. Hilary and Whitney greatly influenced Michael’s progressive years and looked after his needs while keeping him motivated. On the other hand, Phelps proved himself worthy of their love by creating a remarkable legacy in swimming history.

Watch This Story: After David Popovici broke the 100-meter freestyle world record, here’s how Michael Phelps performed at that age.