Michael Phelps rose to prominence soon after the 2008 Olympic Games. It marked the first time someone clinched eight gold medals in a single Olympic meet.

But the Olympian would not stop at that. He would continue to dominate the sport for another eight years. During this time, Phelps won 28 Olympic medals to become the one of the greatest Olympian in history.

Michael Phelps and his journey to becoming the best

Fame or recognition does not make Phelps any more important than he already is to his family. The athlete holds the same significance in his family’s life as he did prior to becoming the Baltimore Bullet.

This sentiment is captured beautifully by what his sister, Hilary Phelps, said during an event. The event followed Michael’s momentous 2008 victory at the Beijing Olympics.

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At the event, Hilary said, “We still look at him as our very little brother, he’s just Michael and it’s so funny you know you hear that LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are there watching and the president.”

Both Phelps sisters were present during the event, and the interviewer asked about the aspects that make him a champion.

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Michael’s eldest sister, Whitney, was the first to answer the question. She replied, “He has the determination, he has the drive. He’s an extremely focused young man. And you know he just wants to get in there and race his best every time.”

Hilary, too, had similar things to say about her brother. She said, “I think it’s the focus, I mean he has that mindset. As soon as he gets behind the block, gets his lane, it’s his goal and he just gets in there and wants to do his best.”

Phelps’ recipe for success

The drive to get ahead of others is important. But that alone does not lead to a successful career. Having the resolve to get ahead in life is just one of the factors toward victory. However, becoming the most decorated sportsperson requires more than just grit and determination.

Most importantly, it calls for hard work and rigorous training sessions. The swimmer revealed he swam between 70,000 and 100,000 yards in a week when he was training for the Olympics.

Indicating his busy regimen, Phelps said, “We went five or six years without missing a single day. 365 days. No days off, no birthday, no Christmas.”

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However, such a busy routine exerts a toll on the body. As such, the body requires a certain recovery period to meet the demands of the rigorous training sessions. Therefore, hard work is as significant as determination when one wants to succeed in sports and in life.