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Emotional Michael Phelps Finally Accepts Father as He Shockingly Passes Away: “I’ll Always Be Your Son”

Published 10/25/2022, 8:00 AM EDT

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Michael Phelps’ childhood wasn’t easy. When he was just nine years old, his parents went through a divorce in 1994. Subsequently, he had a rocky relationship with his father, who married again in 2000. The divorce had a severe negative impact on Phelps and his siblings.

Phelps was introduced to swimming by the influence of his sisters. Training under the guidance of Bob Bowman since childhood, Phelps went on to achieve tremendous success at a very young age. Further, he had a smooth transition to his senior career, becoming one of the most decorated Olympians of all time. Recently, he announced some grim news on social media.

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Michael Phelps shares an emotional tribute to his late father

Earlier this week, the legendary American swimmer took to Instagram to remember his late father. Sharing some pictures with him, Phelps said, “You’ll always be my dad… And I’ll always be your son… Love you dad and I will miss you. RIP dad.”

 

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A post shared by Michael Phelps (@m_phelps00)

In one of the pictures, a young Phelps is seen sharing a warm moment with his father, Michael Fred Phelps wearing his Maryland State Trooper uniform. The latter served as a Maryland State Trooper for 28 long years. Moreover, he also played football during his high school and college days.

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Further, in another picture, Phelps is seen posing alongside his father with his son in his arms. In the subsequent picture, Fred is seen sharing an adorable moment with Michael’s son.

Phelps once avoided his father

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After his parents’ divorce in 1994, the legendary American swimmer had a rocky relationship with his father. While battling a mental health crisis, Phelps’ therapist once suggested that he should spend time with his father.

via Getty

Talking about this incident, Phelps said, “When my therapist said invite him for the family weekend I was like, why? It’ll be just another letdown that he’ll give me in my life and I don’t want a letdown. I don’t want that fear of rejection once again.”

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WATCH THIS STORY- Michael Phelps, Caeleb Dressel Vertical Leap Compared to Other Sports Stars

However, after his 2014 drunk driving arrest and subsequent rehabilitation, Phelps reconnected with his father.

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Written by:

Vatsal Shah

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Vatsal Shah is a tennis author at EssentiallySports. With a Bachelor's degree in engineering, he is a die hard fan of tennis and sports in general. He is an ardent follower of Rafael Nadal and is inspired by his never-say-die attitude.
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Edited by:

Simar Singh Wadhwa