“Felt Like the Worst Mother”: Michael Phelps’ Mom Debbie Felt Helpless as She Kept Getting Calls Regarding His Behavior in School

Michael Phelps’ journey at the pool started when he was seven. The young boy from Baltimore joined swimming not to pursue a professional career but to utilize his extra energy. Following his sister’s footsteps, Phelps’ love affair with the water unfolded him multiple accreditations! He was just fifteen when he made his Olympic debut.

Standing with his son through thick and thin, his mother, Ms. Debbie Phelps, could hardly fathom that his son would soon emerge as the swimming GOAT. From feeling like the “worst mother in the world” to being exceptionally proud, Debbie’s journey was no less than Phelps’. Having three kids to look after, Michael’s mother walks memory lane.

For Phelps’ mother, it was not easy

Phelps would have never dreamt of joining the swimming classes had his mother was not there. At age seven, he hated to get his face wet. It was his mother’s constant encouragement and support that kept him going. Thus, his diagnosis of ADHD in sixth grade was a heartbreaking moment for Debbie.

Because of ADHD, Phelps was always hyperactive. As his mother quotes, “he’d hoist his desk onto his shoulders and wear it, running around the classroom as the other kids laughed.” It was difficult for the young boy to sit straight. Because of all this, his mother constantly got calls from the principal’s office.

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Debbie said that “Teachers insisted he was bright, but just couldn’t sit still.. She “felt like the worst mother.” The teachers informed her that “he couldn’t focus on anything,” However, the mother was determined to prove everyone wrong. And she did prove everyone wrong. Here’s how?

Michael Phelps’ pillar of strength

Debbie knew that if she collaborated with Michael,” he could achieve anything he set his mind to.” A teacher herself, Debbie, began working with Michael. If any teacher said that Michael could not do something, she would counter question them by saying, “what are you doing to help him?”

She hired a tutor for Michael and encouraged him to get Michael’s interest by using word problems. She devised and used various strategies and planned to help her son retain his focus. Debbie kept reminding Michael of the consequences of his behavior.

Watch This Story:  Resurfaced video shows Michael Phelps Race of the century with Ian Thorpe, Pieter Van Den Hoogenband’s at 2004 Athens Olympics

Undeniably, his mother’s constant support helped him swim across the barriers. Thus, when he won his first gold medal in Athens, he did the right thing. Expressing his gratitude, the young boy stepped off his winner’s platform and walked to his mother. A moment that remains the closest to her heart!