“You’re Not in Your Speedo”: Michael Phelps’ Wife’s Grandmother Was Left in Denial After Meeting Him for the First Time

Swimming legend Michael Phelps overtook news headlines every four years as he outperformed his competition and racked up his medal tally. With 28 Olympic medals, Phelps became the most decorated Olympian ever.

His feats in the pool, childhood, upbringing, struggles with depression, and behind-the-scenes tales of training, turned into subjects of great public interest and became one of America’s national treasures. Of course, not every coverage of the athlete had a serious perspective.

When Michael Phelps met his grandmother-in-law

In 2016, Michael Phelps swam his last slew of races at the Rio Olympics, and officially retired from competing. With his wife, Nicole Johnson, and baby Boomer waiting at home, he hung up his cap and goggles and embraced the life of domestic bliss. Talking to Cosmopolitan at the tail end of the Rio medal haul, Nicole Phelps went in-depth about their lives together.

Phelps’ last Olympic journey, what’s next for their family, and she also revealed how she felt about “people writing about and ogling Michael’s bulge,” as the interviewer put it. “It goes with the territory. He’s a swimmer and you leave little to the imagination. I laugh about it,” she claimed. 

READ MORE: Michael Phelps Never Wishes to Repeat Same Experiences With His Sons: “There Are Some Bad Childhood Memories of My Father”

But with pictures of Phelps in swimming gear plastered everywhere, it made some family gatherings just a tad bit awkward. For instance, when his wife’s grandmother didn’t recognize him on their first encounter. Nicole Johnson narrated, “When he very first met my grandmother, she said, ‘I didn’t recognize you because you’re not in your Speedo.’”

How Phelps feels about such articles

Michael Phelps became a professional swimmer at a very young age. Consequently, he learned a long time ago what being under media scrutiny entails. As his wife explained, he doesn’t read every article released about him. But he takes what he sees with a good sense of humor. “I think he’s seen some of it and it makes him laugh, but he hasn’t seen all of it. We definitely laugh,” Nicole said. 

They even joke about them at home, Nicole joking with her husband for not ranking at the top. “I forgot who released the best bods right before the games — I texted him and sent him the link to the article and was like, ‘Why the heck are you number [whatever], you need to be number one,’” she exclaimed.

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Phelps retired in 2016, and ever since he has taken on a more philanthropic and entrepreneurial role. His fame triggered hundreds of pictures in his speedos on the internet. Now, it helps him leverage his platform for social causes. Through the Michael Phelps Foundation and partnerships with different organizations, he hopes to extend his Olympic legacy differently.