Michael Phelps is an American former competitive swimmer who dominated the sport in the 2000s-2010s, becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time. Over four Olympic Games from 2000 to 2016, Phelps won a record total of 28 medals - 23 of them gold - in butterfly, individual medley, and freestyle events. His unprecedented achievement of winning 8 golds in a single Games in Beijing in 2008 cemented his legend. With dogged work ethic under coach Bob Bowman, Phelps used his ADHD tendencies to his advantage, funneling relentless energy into perfecting his swimming technique and endurance to repeatedly break world records. Retiring with twice as many medals as any other swimmer in history, Phelps leaves a legacy of sustained excellence through tireless pursuit of excellence that made the unachievable seem routine.
