Michael Phelps Did Not Miss a Single Day of Swimming Training for Six Years: “I Wanted To”

Michael Phelps may have achieved the GOAT title, but it’s not easy being the most decorated Olympian of all time. His legacy in the sport can be observed by the accolades he’s collected over the years. From being one of the youngest men in the USA national team at 15, to now having 28 Olympic medals – Phelps has done it all. From vanquishing mental health foes to winning Olympic glory multifold, him chartering greener pastures beyond just puts into perspective how iron clad and resilient he is. But there have been times when the undisputed phenom has felt down and about but he’s only come back shining.

However, he recently talked about how rigorous his routine was to maintain the title of being the greatest. Seldom one to back down, Phelps ensured he never missed a day of training, a feat that is just as insane as it sounds. It just goes to show, if you want your name in the history books, you definitely have to earn it. But, what kept him going for six long years? 

Michael Phelps’ never say die attitude peeled forth like an onion 

Often looked as a prodigy when it comes to the sport, it’s almost like Phelps was meant to swim. But this alone wasn’t going to keep him afloat the scoreboard. In the buildup leading to the Beijing Olympics, Phelps wanted to ensure he was at the top of his game. This meant never skipping a day of training. Airwayz official took to their Instagram account to delve into Phelps’ killer instincts and to pick his brain and it looks like we all could learn a thing or two.

The handle recently caught up with the Olympian to talk about what it takes to dominate on the big stage. They shared a snippet on social media captioning it, “Imagine not missing a single day of training for six straight years. That’s the dedication @phelps committed to in order to become a legend 🥇 Access motivational insights from the most decorated Olympian on AirWayz, starting at $5 per month.  Phelps let us in on how he prepared himself for the Olympics. 

He started off with, “Going six straight years without missing a single day, that is because I wanted to be the best.” Athletes often have to go through several intense training sessions to reach their target, but Phelps had something else brewing and percolating in his mind. He continues, “I wanted to prepare how no one else ever had, because I was thinking about doing something different that anybody ever had on this whole entire planet.” Phelps then went on to win a staggering eight gold medals at the Olympics and the training definitely helped. 

However, Michael Phelps has previously shared another reason for not missing training. In conversation with The Economic Times, he stated “I spent six years straight not missing a single day of training. I was getting so much more benefit out of that than other athletes who were swimming for 6 days.” His approach to training in some way has helped him shatter every boundary the sport threw his way. But now that he’s retired, what’s keeping Michael Phelps busy? 

His post-retirement life has been anything but sleepy 

Phelps announced his retirement in 2016 and was navigating through the next phase of his chapter. Despite being the most decorated athlete, retiring didn’t come as easily as he thought. Phelps has been immensely vocal about dealing with mental health issues, something he has been battling since his competitive days. 

He has previously mentioned that he would like to focus on issues he’s incredibly passionate about, mental health being one of them. In conversation with Olympic.com, he expressed, “I can go back to 2004 and say that was when I first experienced it. That was the first time I came across depression coming back from the 2004 Olympic Games. I suffered from post-Olympic depression pretty bad.” While he couldn’t make sense of it back then, eventually he learned how to deal with it better. 

Once he understood that this was something he would have to consistently deal with, he wanted to get rid of the stigma around mental health issues. He continues, “Hopefully, I can save a life. I can help somebody else because I know that the feelings that I have, I had, what I go through every single day, every single week, every single month. I know I’m not alone and I understand that for me it’s OK to not be OK.” He hopes that by doing this, many would feel comfortable getting the help they need. 

Michael Phelps’ journey has been nothing short of extraordinary. From shattering world records to shattering glass ceilings post-retirement, he continues to prove why he’s the best. While his training for the Olympics sounds grueling, Phelps has shown that he never stopped trying to better himself. He once said, “Don’t be afraid to dream as big as you possibly can,” and it looks like he still hasn’t stopped.