The dominance Michael Phelps displayed in the pool is exemplary. Hailed as one of the greatest Olympians of all time, he has 28 Olympic medals to his credit. The swimming GOAT’s affair with swimming started when he was just seven years old.

But Michael was not the only Phelps who wanted to pursue swimming professionally. His elder sister Hilary and Whitney were also gifted swimmers, especially Whitney. Had the situation didn’t go otherwise, perhaps the Phelps family could have boosted having more Olympic medals.

The reason that shattered Phelps’ sister’s dream

Whitney, much like Phelps, created magic in the waters. She would always be the last person to get out of the water. The dedication she displayed was commendable.

What may even surprise you is that before the Olympic trials, every top swimming college tried to recruit her. Whitney was also preparing herself to make it big, but destiny had other plans. Hilary recalled, “I had never seen my little sister and my best friend so devastated in all of her life.”

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Whitney suffered from terrible back pain. When the family consulted the doctors, they “diagnosed her as having a herniated disc and multiple fractures.” The news did not just shatter Whitney but also the Phelps family. The news, as Debbie recalls, “was like a death in the family.” Whitney wanted to smile and laugh, “but she couldn’t.” 

Sister’s setback made Michael Phelps more determined 

To draw inspiration, Phelps never had to look outside. His two elder sisters were his idols. Speaking fondly of Whitney, the brother said she “was number three in the world and number one in the country.” Like his sister, Michael, too, wanted to make big in the pool.

Thus, when Whitney’s dream of making big at the pool shattered, the young brother vouched to do it for her. The ‘Flying Fish’ left no stones unturned to make his sister’s unfulfilled dream turn into a reality. Sure, he had to deal with his own failures, from losing his first Olympic medal by a few seconds to dealing with injuries. Phelps overcame all his hurdles with glory.

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Through thick and thin, the family always stood beside one another like a rock. And standing true to his words, Phelps eventually emerged as one of the world’s greatest athletes!