“When My Father Died…”- Michael Phelps’ Mother Opens Up on Her Difficult Childhood

The most decorated Olympian of all time, Michael Phelps, grew up with his two sisters, whom he practically followed in the pool. Early in the swimmer’s life, when he was just nine years old, his parents divorced, leaving his mother responsible for raising three kids on her own. 

We can imagine it couldn’t have been easy for Mrs. Deborah Phelps ‘Debbie’, but she overcame her loss and brought up the greatest swimmer in the world, all on her own. She drew on her experiences with her own father’s loss.

Michael Phelps’ grandmother was an inspiration

Debbie Phelps, the mother of Michael Phelps, was born in 1951 and grew up in a town in western Maryland. When she was around 20 years old, her father passed away, leaving her mother to raise their child alone. Debbie talked to the Associated Press around 2009 after she wrote her book.

“My mother had no profession,” Mrs. Phelps said. “When my father died, there she was. I watched her make five dollars out of one dollar, a dollar out of 10 cents. She stretched a budget. But she also taught me so much about how to embrace life: have faith, believe in God and we will get through this as a family.”

Losing her father wasn’t the only blow for Debbie Phelps in life. She separated from her husband, Michael Fred Phelps, in 1994. This change was something that she had not seen it coming. Fred and Debbie were high school sweethearts and had been together for a long time.

“When that whole thing happened, I was surprised, I was shocked, it was not what I expected,” she shared. She claimed that after marriage, she and Fred grew apart.

READ MORE: “Trying to Get My Family Home Safe”- Michael Phelps Once Shut Down a Reporter Trying to Invade His Personal Space at the Airport

How did Debbie Phelps cope with the divorce?

Before Michael Phelps’ father left, Debbie Phelps was a teacher working at a high-performing middle school. The divorce led to her making some drastic changes in her life. She gave up her position, switching to a school where many students came from underprivileged backgrounds.

Moreover, she went back to college to get a master’s degree. It allowed her to grow in her career and later became a principal and school administrator. “I definitely can see I am my mother in so many ways,” Mrs. Phelps claimed.

And similar to the way her mother’s life and choices had affected her, Debbie Phelps wanted her children to embody the same values. “The things she taught me as I was growing up, I’ve passed those on to my three children,” she continued.

Debbie Phelps came from a troublesome background, but she decided to grow and learn from it. She raised three successful children and goes in-depth about her life and experience in her book.

DIVE DEEPER: “I Don’t Want to Talk”- Michael Phelps’ Had a Tough Time Opening Up to Mother After Two Infamous Incidents Affected His Career