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In many families, a father is the closest person to the son. He is the one with whom a son can spill all his beans. Moreover, after an age, they become the secret keeper of all your mischievousness. However, this was not the case with the legendary swimmer Michael Phelps, but still, his father has a special place in his heart. Michael’s father, Mr. Fred Phelps, passed away on 24th October 2022.

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Even though Phelps had his differences with his father, it is very saddening when your parent passes away. Phelps revealed the news to his fans through his Instagram handle on a post. He wrote a short yet heartfelt note to his father. Many celebrities and fans, including Legendary Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn, mourned his father’s demise.

Lindsey Vonn’s message to Phelps’ loss

Michael?Phelps?had a complicated relationship with his father. However, he is more attached and close to his mother. Phelps’ mother, Ms. Debbie Phelps, raised him as a single parent, as his parents got divorced in 1994 when he was just nine years old. The divorce led to an emotional gap between father and son. Phelps has addressed this void many times.

 

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A post shared by Michael Phelps (@m_phelps00)

However, after Fred’s demise, Phelps shared a heartfelt note with some adorable throwback pictures of his father. Phelps wrote,?“You?ll always be my dad? And I?ll always be your son? Love you dad and I will miss you???? rip dad.”

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Moreover, legendary US Alpine skier Lindsey Vonn gave her condolences through her comment on Phelps’ post. She wrote,?“Im so sorry for your loss. He will always be there ???”

The void in Michael Phelps’ life

It is tough to live without the presence of your father. A father plays a significant role in molding a child’s character. Nonetheless, Phelps embraced his childhood and had the support of an incredible mother to help him reach the heights he has today. Phelps once?said,?“For me, not having a father always there was hard. I had Bob [Bowman], and I had Peter [Carlisle], these guys who acted as father figures. But deep down, inside, it was hard.?

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Phelps certainly had a hard childhood with only one parent around. However, the legend bore with it pretty well. He accepted what he had and worked hard on what he could. His mother, Debbie, played a tremendous role in bringing up the three kids pretty well and making them worthy of leading a good life.

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Even though Fred wasn’t with Michael during his practices or victory celebrations, he was there to support him by the pool. It is always hard to lose one parent, and the heartfelt note by Phelps shows the abundance of love he had for his father.