Olympic legend Michael Phelps spent 25 years of his life in competitive swimming and became the greatest swimmer ever. His rigorous training schedule and dog-minded pursuit of gold earned him 28 medals across 5 Olympic Games. 

He achieved all this with the help of his unflappable support system, and his mother stands in the center if it. Debbie Phelps has always been her son’s biggest cheerleader, who taught him the importance of good sportsmanship and stood by him through his toughest times.

Michael Phelps’ mother sacrificed a lot for her kids

After Michael Phelps’ parents got divorced when he was just 9, and the young swimmer struggled with the absence of his father. Debbie Phelps raised her three kids, Phelps, and his two sisters, single-handedly. She went back to school to get her master’s degree and became a principal and school administrator.

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But in her fight to give her kids the best life she could, Debbie forgot to prioritize herself. In 2013, she relayed that sentiment as she joined the battle against heart disease, the number one silent killer of women. “All the years that I took care of my children, I didn’t take care of myself the way I should have,” she said. 

“And I thought I need to take a step forward and to be able to take a look at me.” It started with a 60-minute checkup, and Debbie found out that she was borderline in many health categories. In her hectic schedule of career and family obligations, she had been putting off taking care of herself.

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“These are things that I put on the back-burner. Do I exercise every day? No, I don’t,” she said. “We want to be around for a good long time, at least I do as a mom.” Equally concerned for his mother’s health, Michael Phelps offered to be her personal trainer. But the brutal workout routine of the most decorated Olympian wouldn’t sit well with his aging mother.

Debbie Phelps joined the battle against heart disease

In February 2015, Michael Phelps’ mother attended “Red Dress Sunday”. The event is a collaborative effort between African-American and Latina churches in Baltimore and Saint Agnes Hospital to spread awareness about heart health.

“Women really focus on breast cancer, and that’s a very important part of our lives. But when you talk about heart health and stroke, that is No. 1. We need to do things for us in order for us to get back to our kids and our grandchildren later on,” she said.

She had been promoting Saint Agnes Hospital’s 60-minute health checkups available for $60. She hopes that more women can assess their heart health, and make dietary and lifestyle changes accordingly. Reportedly, heart disease kills 200,000 women every year.

WATCH THIS STORY: When Olympic Legends Usain Bolt, Michael Phelps, Serena Williams, and Others Won Their First Gold Medals