“Struggling With the Loss”: Swimming GOAT Michael Phelps Opens Up on Emotional Trauma Following His Father’s Death

Michael Phelps is one of the greatest and most known athletes. The USA swimming legend is a 28-time Olympic medallist and one of the most decorated Olympians in history. Of the 28 Olympic medals, 23 are gold, a record in the mega-event.

The swimmer shared a great relationship with his parents, especially with his mother. Even after their divorce, he stayed close to both of them. Unfortunately, earlier this year, Phelps’ father passed away, and since then, the swimmer has been trying to cope with the loss.

Michael Phelps opens up about his father’s sad demise

Michael Phelps recently appeared on the famous podcast – Unbreakable, hosted by Jay Glazer. The podcast mainly focuses on mental health issues and has featured many athletes in the past episodes.

In the latest episode, the legendary swimmer Phelps confessed that not every day is the best day, and everyone struggles with bad days. He said, “There are days that yeah we feel on top of the world and then there are days where we feel the worst we have ever felt.”

Phelps’s father, Fred Phelps, died in October of this year. During the podcast, the swimmer confessed to struggling to deal with this loss. “For me lately, as you know, I have been struggling with the loss of my father, and yeah, it’s been ups and downs, but the one thing I have tried to do is stay in my routine,” revealed the swimmer.

Once Phelps also said that swimming was his escape when his parents divorced. Even today, training and working out seem to be his way of working on his mental health. He further added, “You know for me, workout is something that makes me, me and it’s a part of my self-care.”

Read More: 23x Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps Once Shared the Feeling “Light Years Better Than Winning the Olympic Gold”

In the 42-minute podcast, Phelps shared incidents from his life and opinions on the importance of sound mental health.

Phelps’ relationship with his dad

Following his parent’s divorce in 1994, Phelps had a strained relationship with his father. He continued to live with his mother and sisters while his dad moved away from the family.

Though Phelps stayed in touch with his father over text and calls for several years, they did not share a happy relationship. However, later in 2016, Phelps revealed that he had grown closer to his father, and the two then shared a great relationship.

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Phelps often shared pictures of his father and son, sharing precious family time together.