As a competitor, hard work and dedication are two must-have qualities. However, sometimes it takes more than just tireless preparation to get what you want. Sometimes you need to find that reason that will push you through the finish line. Therefore, when coach, Bob Bowman, realized that preparation isn’t the only thing that’ll help Michael Phelps create history in Beijing, he fueled him with words that did the magic.

When you hear the name Michael Phelps, all that comes to mind is 23 Olympic golds, 39 world records, and probably the best swimmer in the history of the sport. However, his incredible career is the sum total of little moments that he conquered like a champion. These small victories with top-level consistency made him stand out from the rest.

Coach Bowman’s little pep talk with Michael Phelps did the magic

Before the 100m fly at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Phelps had already won six gold medals. However, his numbers in the 100m fly were not adding up to his eight Olympic gold medals dream. About their chances in the race, coach Bowman said, “After I saw the semis of fly, I kind of knew we were running low on gas.”

Though at the breakfast table before the race, he gave Phelps a perfect cause to win. He said, “you know what I read in the paper today, Cavic said it’d be good for swimming if you did not win eight golds and he’s the guy to do it and that’s literally what he said.” 

About the whole experience, Bowman added, “Michael physically got bigger. He said, ‘he said what’? I’ll never forget that it was like he grew two inches and that’s all I needed to do.”

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Did Bowman’s mind game work?

Well, Phelps did win his 7th gold in the 100m fly at Beijing by 1/100th of a second. And he outperformed the favorite Milorad Čavić against all odds and proved why he is the best in the game.

Perhaps these are the moments that define greatness in an athlete. It’s all about how you perform at the moment when the chances are reasonably low. However, legends like Phelps don’t care about predictions, stats, or probabilities. They carve their destiny on their own.

WATCH THIS STORY- 5 Quotes From Michael Phelps That Can Change Your Life