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TOKYO, JAPAN – JULY 25: Michael Phelps of the United States in the stands during the Swimming Finals at the Tokyo Aquatic Centre at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games on July 25, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
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TOKYO, JAPAN – JULY 25: Michael Phelps of the United States in the stands during the Swimming Finals at the Tokyo Aquatic Centre at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games on July 25, 2021 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)
Sometimes people need the help of someone else to steer them in the right direction. For Michael Phelps, he found solace in the institution he attended after getting in trouble with authorities for driving under the influence.
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Over the years, Phelps has had his fair share of troubles with the authorities. And when Phelps pleaded guilty to a DUI incident in December 2014, the most decorated Olympian was slapped with a one-year suspension from the sport and 18 months of supervised probation.
What was Michael Phelps like before attending the facility?
However, the 28-time Olympic medalist decided to get experts’ help this time around. After the incident, the athlete made up his mind to spend 45 days at ‘The Meadows’. It is a residential treatment facility dealing with drug use and mental health issues.
But interestingly, his coach, Bob Bowman, observed a change in the athlete when he visited the swimmer at the facility. Bowman had been in Phelps’ life for most of his competitive career, and with so much time together training, the coach had become a father figure for Phelps.
The coach noticed a certain demeanor about the five-time Olympian. Phelps had changed during the time spent at the correctional facility. Bowman noticed a stark change in the athlete’s personality when he visited the Flying Fish to catch up with him over a football game.
As a result of years of hard work and a rigorous regimen, the Olympian had previously grown indifferent toward the ordeals of others. He had become accustomed to putting himself before others. Even his coach felt that Phelps had become disdained with life.
It had become so apparent that Bowman once commented, “He had no idea what to do with the rest of his life.”
“It made me feel terrible. I remember one day I said: ‘Michael, you have all the money that anybody your age could ever want or need; you have a profound influence in the world; you have free time — and you’re the most miserable person I know. What’s up with that?’ ” added the coach.
What changed during Phelps’ time at The Meadows?
However, at the Meadows, the coach felt that the person in front of him was a different personality altogether. Now, facing him stood a person who was attentive to others’ journeys.
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BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA – DECEMBER 07: Michael Phelps gestures during a visit to Argentina at El Rosedal Park on December 07, 2017 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. (Photo by Marcelo Endelli/Getty Images)
This disposition in Phelps brought back old memories to the coach’s mind. It reminded Bowman of a much younger Phelps who was caring towards others.
Phelps lost himself amidst the bustle of rigorous routines and expectations. However, he got back on track with some help from others around him.
Written by
Edited by
Simar Singh Wadhwa