Michael Phelps is more than just the perfect Olympic swimmer; he is a man with emotions and flaws just like everyone else. Oftentimes, problematic behavior is a result of deep-rooted childhood trauma. Even the brightest souls sometimes succumb to the horrors of dark thoughts. The same was the case with the greatest of all-time American swimmer, Michael Phelps.

Growing up in a broken family with a single mother after his parent’s divorce had some negative effects on Phelps. The emptiness of a father figure for most of his life resulted in the lack of guidance and lapse of judgment on Phelps’ part. But fighting those dark times like the champ he is, the Flying Fish came out as a victor on the other side.

Partnership with Sports Illustrated

Swimming G.O.A.T. Michael Phelps has recently partnered with the American Sports magazine, Sports Illustrated. Commemorating the magazine’s 2015 cover about the swimmer, the team has launched the Sports Illustrated × Michael Phelps Collection. The cover titled The Rehabilitation of Michael Phelps focused on Phelps’ struggle with issues related to his mental health.

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The collection contains 3D animated digital collectibles and is exclusively available on oneof.com. Phelps took to his Instagram to announce that the collection was now live on the website. For the caption of the announcement post, Michael Phelps wrote, “Sports Illustrated x Michael Phelps Collection is LIVE on @OneOfNFT!”

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Furthermore, the announcement post contained an animated video of Phelps diving into the pool. It also quoted one of the lines from his interview in 2015. The line read, “For most of my career, I only saw myself as a swimmer. But swimming is what I do, not who I am. I am a person with feelings and emotions. Just like everyone else.”

The Rehabilitation of Michael Phelps

The Baltimore Bullet has had a problematic personal life. These were a result of his personal choice and lack of responsible judgment. Since the beginning of his career, controversies and charges surrounded Phelps. Within 10 years, Phelps had already been involved in three cases. Each one was more daunting than the previous one.

At the age of 19, during the Athens Olympics, Phelps got involved in his first case and pleaded guilty to driving while impaired. His 2009 controversy where he was found smoking a bong led to a three-month suspension from the USA Swimming team. But his 2014, DUI case was one that couldn’t be looked over. It was after this that he got his wake-up call. He was urged by his near and dear ones to check into a rehabilitation facility, which he did.

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From then on, Phelps worked on himself and battled with his intrusive and negative thoughts. He also worked on his relationship with his estranged father. As he struggled his way back to reality, he is now stronger than ever before!