“She Said I Wouldn’t Make It”: Suffering From ADHD, Michael Phelps Defied Teacher’s Bold Assumption About His Future; Revealed in 2020

Michael Phelps is the most decorated swimmer in the sport’s history. His achievements are a testimony to all the hardships that he had to endure and overcome. Most specifically, his condition of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) during his childhood.

Michael was able to harness his troubles, including ADHD symptoms, as a young boy. In a 2020 interview with NBC Nightly News, the swimmer discussed how he wasn’t afraid to dream big and work hard to reach his target. He spoke about how his ADHD actually helped him become better than the rest, leading to Phelps becoming a global role model for upcoming athletes.

Michael Phelps opened up on tackling his ADHD

The champion swimmer has, on numerous occasions, gone on record to state his difficulties with his ailment, and how his mother, Debbie, helped him overcome his weakness. From tailoring math problems to suit his interests to teaching him to compose himself in moments of extreme stress, Debbie explored various strategies. Consequently, her son grew up to break world records and become a spokesperson for mental health.

One middle school teacher, as the Olympian stated in the interview, told him that he was never going to amount to anything.

“I was always bouncing off the walls…a kid with ADHD growing up,” said Phelps. He added, “she said I wouldn’t make it.” 

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

But sure enough, that did not stop the swimmer from making his way to the Olympics, and subsequently, securing a total of 28 medals. He stated, “And I was like okay well, that’ll be a little extra motivation for me to actually show you.”

Controlling one’s own destiny, just like the ‘Flying Fish’

Michael believes that one always lays the bricks for their own future. A middle school teacher who never believed in him did not ever held him back from proving himself. Instead, he became the best version of himself. 

Till the day he retired, he had won 82 medals in major international long course competitions. A kid with ADHD became the youngest world-record holder in men’s swimming at just 15 years of age, when he timed 1 min 54.92 sec in the 200-meter butterfly of the U.S spring nationals. “At the end of the day I controlled my destiny,” concludes the father of three.

Watch this story: Swimming legend Michael Phelps top 5 iconic career races

What are your opinions on Phelps’ majestic career that he carved out of challenges? Let us know in the comments down below.