Phelp's Background
Phelps was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and grew up in the Rodgers Forgeneighborhood. He graduated from Towson High School in 2003.[2] His father, Fred Phelps, worked for the Maryland State Police and his mother, Deborah Sue "Debbie" Davisson Phelps, is a middle school principal.[2][3] The two divorced in 1994.[2] Michael, whose nickname is "MP", has two older sisters, Whitney and Hilary.[2][3] Both of them were swimmers as well, with Whitney coming close to making the U.S. national team for the 1996 Summer Olympics before injuries derailed her career.[4]
In his youth, Phelps was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).[2] He started swimming at age seven, partly because of the influence of his sisters and partly to provide him with an outlet for his energy. He excelled as a swimmer, and by the age of 10 held a national record for his age group. More age group records followed, and Phelps's rapid improvement culminated in his qualifying for the 2000 Summer Olympics at the age of 15.[5]
In November 2004, at the age of 19, Phelps was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Salisbury, Maryland. He pleaded guilty to driving while impaired the following month and was granted probation before judgment and ordered to serve 18 months probation, fined $250, obligated to speak to high school students about drinking and driving and had to attend aMothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) meeting.[6][7] Questioned about the incident later that month by Matt Lauer on the Today Show, Phelps said it was an "isolated incident" and that he had "definitely let myself down and my family down...I think I let a lot of people in the country down."[2]
Between 2004 and 2008, Phelps attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, studying sports marketing and management. In May 2008, Phelps said he intends to return to Baltimore following the 2008 Olympics, joining Bob Bowman there when he leaves the University of Michigan, saying, "I'm not going to swim for anybody else. I think we can both help the North Baltimore Aquatic Club go further. I'm definitely going to be in Baltimore next year." The club has announced that Bowman is leaving the University of Michigan to become the club's CEO.[8] Phelps purchased a house in the Fells Point section of Baltimore, where he intends to reside after returning from the 2008 Summer Olympics.[9]
Phelp's teammates call him "Gomer" because he reminds them of Gomer Pyle, the good-natured, naive country boy played by Jim Nabors on The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C..[10]
He has made an estimated $5 million per year in endorsements. After receiving a $1 million bonus from swimsuit maker Speedo for winning at least seven [11] gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games[12], Phelps used the money to create the Michael Phelps Foundation [11][13], a charity foundation to promote water safety and to advocate swimming for children. Speedo then donated an additional $200,000 to the Foundation. [14]
Phelps was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, and grew up in the Rodgers Forgeneighborhood. He graduated from Towson High School in 2003.[2] His father, Fred Phelps, worked for the Maryland State Police and his mother, Deborah Sue "Debbie" Davisson Phelps, is a middle school principal.[2][3] The two divorced in 1994.[2] Michael, whose nickname is "MP", has two older sisters, Whitney and Hilary.[2][3] Both of them were swimmers as well, with Whitney coming close to making the U.S. national team for the 1996 Summer Olympics before injuries derailed her career.[4]
In his youth, Phelps was diagnosed with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).[2] He started swimming at age seven, partly because of the influence of his sisters and partly to provide him with an outlet for his energy. He excelled as a swimmer, and by the age of 10 held a national record for his age group. More age group records followed, and Phelps's rapid improvement culminated in his qualifying for the 2000 Summer Olympics at the age of 15.[5]
In November 2004, at the age of 19, Phelps was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Salisbury, Maryland. He pleaded guilty to driving while impaired the following month and was granted probation before judgment and ordered to serve 18 months probation, fined $250, obligated to speak to high school students about drinking and driving and had to attend aMothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) meeting.[6][7] Questioned about the incident later that month by Matt Lauer on the Today Show, Phelps said it was an "isolated incident" and that he had "definitely let myself down and my family down...I think I let a lot of people in the country down."[2]
Between 2004 and 2008, Phelps attended the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan, studying sports marketing and management. In May 2008, Phelps said he intends to return to Baltimore following the 2008 Olympics, joining Bob Bowman there when he leaves the University of Michigan, saying, "I'm not going to swim for anybody else. I think we can both help the North Baltimore Aquatic Club go further. I'm definitely going to be in Baltimore next year." The club has announced that Bowman is leaving the University of Michigan to become the club's CEO.[8] Phelps purchased a house in the Fells Point section of Baltimore, where he intends to reside after returning from the 2008 Summer Olympics.[9]
Phelp's teammates call him "Gomer" because he reminds them of Gomer Pyle, the good-natured, naive country boy played by Jim Nabors on The Andy Griffith Show and Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C..[10]
He has made an estimated $5 million per year in endorsements. After receiving a $1 million bonus from swimsuit maker Speedo for winning at least seven [11] gold medals at the 2008 Olympic Games[12], Phelps used the money to create the Michael Phelps Foundation [11][13], a charity foundation to promote water safety and to advocate swimming for children. Speedo then donated an additional $200,000 to the Foundation. [14]
