“For Having Big Ears, for Shaving My Legs”- Michael Phelps Opens Up on Struggles With Bullying During His Childhood

Years after his retirement, Michael Phelps continues to be one of the most famous athletes on the planet. After retirement, Phelps became a prominent figure in the mental health game. He has often talked about his own struggles with mental health, urging others to seek help rather than suffer alone. Michael has used his position of influence to help those in need by providing them with the means.

In all his talks of late, Phelps has spoken extensively of the struggles he had to face. Right from his childhood to even when he was competing at the Olympics, Michael has struggled with issues that have interfered with his mental peace. During one of his interviews, he opened up about the bullying he faced at school.

Michael Phelps talks about being bullied

During an interview, Phelps disclosed what his childhood was like as faced a lot of trouble while in school. Phelps said, “When I think back to childhood, it’s it’s, I remember getting picked on as a kid for having big ears, for shaving my legs, for wearing a, I don’t wanna say it but speedo but, that’s what everybody knows it, a brief, uh swimsuit. So like for me, I like, I guess I didn’t really have too many friends growing up. Like I was kinda in my own world.”

Phelps said everything he wanted to do involved the swimming pool. So, he “stiff-armed” everyone else. He thought he had an amazing opportunity, something cool and special, and he would not let it go because of a few people. Michael forgot an important part. He forgot about the impact such an approach would have on him. “And I never really thought about, you know, the pain that probably caused me as a kid.”

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Commenting on his childhood, Phelps said he thinks he had a normal childhood but can’t be sure of it. “Looking back, I think my childhood was normal, but I don’t know what a normal childhood is, right, like I was engulfed in swimming and staring at a black line for four hours a day.”

Phelps’ other struggle in school

Being alienated and bullied was not the only thing Phelps struggled with while in school. He also dealt with ADHD, which made it even more difficult to focus on school.

Phelps said growing up he was never someone who could sit still in one place. He was constantly bouncing off walls if he had nothing else to do. If his teachers said it would cause a problem, Michael’s mother was there to tell them how to deal with him in class. She told them to put him in the back of the room.

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Once Phelps figured out it was okay to seek help by talking to people, it helped him in dealing with his issues. And, Michael would eventually go on to become one of the greatest athletes in the sporting world.