Carson Foster has created history after he qualified for the Paris Olympics hours ago. Foster, who has had some serious success in his career, is still deprived of an Olympic medal. Having won 8 gold medals in all, Foster will now definitely try to add the coveted Olympic medal to his tally. Failing to make the team for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, this year, the stakes were higher than ever for Foster. Competing in the 400m IM discipline, Foster clocked 4:07.64s to clinch the top position. 

However, while things are looking bright for Foster, there is an untold story that lies beneath. Carson Foster suffered from mental health complications that made life difficult for him. So much so that the US swimmer had to seek the help of a medical professional. And with everything going on with him, Carson Foster “felt ashamed” to address his complicated self. 

Carson Foster had an act of perfect revenge as he beat his arch-rivals, Chase Kalisz and Jay Litherland. For the uninitiated, it was Kalisz and Litherland who outshone Foster to evict him from the Tokyo Olympics’ contention. But the road to victory was not easy. Soon after the Tokyo trials, the fear of failure grasped Foster significantly. The impact was so severe that he had to hire a confidence coach for the same. Later, while speaking about the incident, Foster felt uncomfortable and ashamed. 

This was highlighted in a recent X post soon after the news of Foster’s qualification broke. The post read, “Both Carson Foster and Gretchen Walsh worked together with confidence coaches to help with their performances at big meets. Foster said he initially felt ashamed about having to see one, but believes he wouldn’t be where he is without seeking help.”

Elated after achieving his dream, Foster thanked his family and friends for supporting him in his time of need. The 22-year-old further mentioned that he wanted to hug his family right away and dedicated his triumph to them. Besides his family, there was one more person who helped Foster overcome his dark past. 

Leon Marchand brought the best out of Carson Foster

Leon Marchand is currently the world record holder for the 400-meter individual medley. Winning consecutive golds in the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, Marchand has already created ripples in the swimming realm. And during his NCAA days, he was very dear to Carson Foster. The two swimmers have known each other’s style from their early days and have also competed against each other in the pool.

But besides being a strong competitor, Marchand has also been a source of strength for Foster, who has helped him to flourish. “It certainly was frustrating at first when I was hitting such great times but couldn’t win anything. But I’ve flipped the switch to just being grateful that I have someone like that to race against“, said Foster, referring to Leon.

Narrating how Marchand has helped him to transform into his better self Carson Foster, “Leon’s going to continue to bring the best out of me, and it means that I can’t slack off in practice, I have got to be doing the absolute most if I want to beat him.” Now, with both the young phenoms preparing for the Paris Olympics, fans can’t wait to witness the two face each other in the pool.