For years, Michael Phelps' identity was as a dominant swimmer. The American was a force to be reckoned with in the pool, and there were not many that could keep up with the speedster.
The result was a record 28 Olympic medals, including 23 gold, over the span of five Olympics. He debuted in 2000 at the age of 15 before retiring after the 2016 competition.
When you also included the World Championships and Pan Pacific Championships, Phelps amassed 66 first-place medals, 14 silver medals, and three bronze medals. It's a remarkable career that easily can be stacked up against other sporting greats such as Tom Brady, Michael Jordan, and Tiger Woods.
Phelps is considered to be one of the greatest athletes of all time, but what does his life look like now that his swimming days are behind him?
The Sporting News has more on Phelps' current life and his post-swimming career.
2024 PARIS OLYMPICS
Full Olympics schedule | How to watch in USA | Meet NBC's broadcasters
Is Michael Phelps swimming in the Olympics?
Phelps' days competing in the pool around behind him. The Olympic legend officially retired from swimming after the 2016 Rio Olympics and has not competed since.
Initially, Phelps announced that he planned on retiring after the 2012 London Olympics, however, he elected to come back and compete in Rio four years later. He proved he very much still had it, capturing five gold medals — including in two individual events — and added a silver medal to his resume.
While he won't be swimming at the 2024 Paris Olympics, there is still a role for Phelps to play. NBC is bringing the swimmer back for its broadcast coverage. He will be live in France to work daytime and prime-time coverage as an analyst.
"We are excited to have Michael return to our coverage across both daytime and primetime, and of course, the place where no one knows more about winning — at the pool," said Molly Solomon , executive producer and president of NBC Olympics Production.
BEST U.S. OLYMPIANS
Top 33 rankings | Simone Biles | Katie Ledecky | Jesse Owens
"With his ability to analyze and entertain, our viewers are in for another gold-medal performance."
Phelps will join Dan Hicks and Rowdy Gaines in the booth for the swimming events in Paris.
What does Michael Phelps do now?
Phelps' duties in the broadcast booth are only for special occasions. He does not have a full-time role operating a mic just yet, but that may be something for him down the road.
What is taking up a majority of his time in his work as a mental health advocate. He joined the board of Medibio in 2017, a company that focuses on diagnosing mental health disorders. Phelps himself admitted he had to learn to deal with ADHD and depression.
"I’ve been running around like a madman," Phelps said in a 2018 interview with USA Today . “Mental health is so close to me and who I am, and I try to reach people not as Michael Phelps the superhuman swimmer or superhero, but Michael Phelps who’s human and struggling right now, as we speak because it shows that anyone can go through things. Helping people means so much more to me than winning any medal.
"Depression is something I continue to go through daily, it doesn’t go away. But it’s important for people to see that’s OK."
The former swim star also is involved in a number of charity efforts, including the Michael Phelps Foundation , which he created in 2008. According to the organization's website, it "provides families with the tools and support to be more confident and comfortable in the water and in life."
It took some adjusting to life outside of the pool. Phelps admitted in 2018 that he struggled transitioning to a new career, but he is currently thriving in his roles.
"For me, I obviously had to learn to live life outside of who I was in the pool, as a real person," Phelps said in a 2018 interview with USA Today . "It's so hard sometimes, but man, I'm loving it."
Most Popular
Comments / 0