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Michael Phelps

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78

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2020-09-21

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2020-09-21

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1

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1. “I get to have fun doing honestly, like this is something that is an experience that I've gone through. And I don't mind opening up and sharing and talking about. And it's enjoyable for me because I'm able to learn and grow from that as well. So it's, you know, being retired, I guess. Of weird to say being retired from the Somali 33. 32. So that's kind of weird to say. But, you know, I think being retired from the sport I'm very happy with. I think I could come back and do it again, but have zero desire or passion to do it. And I'm very lucky and fortunate to wake up every day to have a mission that I can go out and talk about and open up about and hopefully make an impact on.”

   2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

2. “See a such cleaner, happier, healthier way of living. So if I can honestly save a life or save two lives, that's all I want. You know, for me, that's way bigger than ever winning a gold medal. And with some of the documentaries that we have coming out, whether it's around anxiety and depression with kids, with angst, the documentary we just did recently. With the other one that we have coming up in the next couple of months, we want to try to work on another one talking about what social media does with anxiety and depression towards kids from the younger generation. These are things that I think could really save lives. And to me, that's all that matters.”

   2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

3. “I mean, I think, you know, like for such a long time, I will say that my number one goal is teaching water safety to kids because it's something that we have to change and there are way too many kids that are losing their lives and drowning incidents. It's now gotten bigger to addressing the mental health component part of it. For me, as somebody who's gone through a handful of depression spells and has found myself in a spot not wanting to be alive, it's something that happens every day in this world. And to be able to continue to go out and to explain people, it's okay to not be okay. Like, look, I mean, every day somebody's going to have ups and downs. And if we can continue to help people get out and talk about things and open up, I think that's, you know, for me was something that completely changed my life and saw, you know, I was able.”

   2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

4. “And that's something, like, I mean, even now, like we watched my 200 IM from Rio with him one morning we were eating breakfast and he saw himself and was like pointing things out. So it's going to be cool to watch him grow up even more and then be able to show him some of that stuff and show him what he was a part of.”

   2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

5. “So, you know, for me, I think at that point to be able to realize that and get to that thought process was something that was so special for me my son and my wife and family being in the stands made it even better. There's icing on the cake. And just being able to close and finish my career how I exactly wanted to. I mean, I know 20 years down the road I can come back and be like, yeah, I did everything I wanted”

   2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

6. “I felt like a dad. Was a dad, but I felt like a dad on the team. Like these guys were all young kids that I'd watch growing up. And now, you know, we're on a team together. And some of them are telling me how they had my poster on their wall going up as a kid. And I was like, oh my gosh, I finally was able to see that the things I was doing. Was accomplishing my goal as a change in the sport and growing the sport. And these kids right in front of me. That's it.”

   2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

7. “I was, I think. A place where I truly could enjoy every single moment of those games. And I think this is weird. I mean, that was the first National Team trip where I probably talked to every single athlete on that team.”

   2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

8. “He was like a dad to me growing up, you know, and I know that he has said, I think publicly that he kind of screwed up by not addressing some of the things that he knew I had going on. And he tried to just push forward and keep moving instead of addressing those at a younger age. So, you know, I think that was something really neat that made the last two years of my career so much more enjoyable because we grew together and we were able to just enjoy it and enjoy the process.”

   2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

9. “Challenging because we had never really expressed some of the emotions and feelings that we did in that room ever. And, you know, I think it was nice just to be able to kind of have a safe environment where we can actually have a real conversation where we're not blowing up on one another. I think that was a truly big change and a big step forward for us. You know, we're both pretty hot-headed and can get pretty argumentative, or we can argue a ton back and forth with each other. And we were in a safe place where we were able to get exactly what we wanted across in a healthy way. And I think since then we're now able to actually talk. And that was something that we never did before. So, you know, for me, that part was just such. Weight off my back Is it something that we carried on for 20 plus years?”

   2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

10. “I was shocked shocked. We're coming into family week and my therapist goes, Well, have you asked your dad? And I said, Why? And he goes, Well, you have to ask. And I'm like, not don't. I'm like, I don't have to ask him. I'm like, I'm not asking him. Like, because I know he's going to say no. And I don't want to hear that answer again. I don't want to hear that. I don't want to open up the invitation and feel rejected again. And he said to me, and I don't think I would have taken it this way unless I had gone through what I'd gone through. He said, if he says no, you know where things stand and you know that he doesn't want to do this and doesn't want to be a part of it. So if you can do that and get that answer, don't you think it's worth asking? And I asked and he said yes and showed up.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

11. “Even though I was very uncomfortable the first day when my therapist decided to dive into some stuff and I was basically put on blast in front of the group and I started sitting very comfortably and by the end of it I was on the edge of my chair getting ready to pounce. I think after that day I think it was just the easiest thing for me because I was excited to be able to understand more about what was going on. I like the brutal honest truth sometimes. It's the only way I'm really truly going to learn. So with some of the things my course But I'd rather just hear the dead honest truth just tell me you were there for”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

12. “There you go. Hello. I was like, and that's news to me too. I didn't know I was suspended. But after that, I think it got a lot easier. And I also have had the people who were running it who have come up and they said, if you have any problems, if you have something that you don't like or is bothering you, come up and tell me. And I guess we had phone time for an hour twice a day and somebody did say something. they were asked to leave the next day. So when I saw that. I kind of knew that they took it very seriously. And I was safe in there. So I started opening up a little bit. And I think the best thing for me that happened there is.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

13. “Well, as soon as I... We were watching football. It was like the fifth or sixth day there. And we were watching Sunday football. And news had just come out that I was suspended from world championships. USA something suspended me from world championships and suspended me for six months of competition. And we're in a room like this and everyone obviously just snaps, turns and looks at me. I was like, yep. Hey guys, that's me. I'm here. Yep.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

14. “After the first two or three days, I was like, you know what? I was like, I'm here. Like, I might as well just bite the bullet, open up. And I guess came up to me and he said, hello. And I was just like, why is he coming to talk to me? Like, why? Why are you looking at me? And he was super nice. And I just, I literally at that point, I think whatever it was that he said or he did or how he was around me, I just kind of was just like, screw it. I let my guard down and I was like, I'm here. I might as well just try to get as good as like try to learn as much as I can about me and what I'm going through and what I need to be able to get through this. So it was kind of cool getting into a pattern there and a rhythm there of understanding that I can ask for help or that I that I shouldn't be afraid to talk about this or that in front of somebody.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

15. “Yeah, and also just opening up in a group setting. I think that was something that was like I was nervous about because I was like, I don't want these people to judge me. I don't want this. I want to be able to go in and get help, the help that I need. And remember the first couple days in there, we caught it like the nursery. It's where like the new guys that came in had to stay for a couple days, go through all the health checks and everything. was in there and I didn't talk to anybody the first two or three days. Not a single soul ate by myself, did everything alone, didn't communicate with anybody. And I basically forced myself to sleep every night by working out in the room. I was doing push-ups. I was doing sit-ups. I was doing squats. I was just trying to... Get some like, yeah, just aggression out and just exhaust myself.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

16. “On your way. We left Baltimore, flew to Arizona. We flew to an airport right next to the metals. Flew privately down, kind of like left nobody was around. We didn't want anybody know where I was going. And I remember getting off the plane. And I said to my mom, I said, this is the most afraid I've ever been in my entire life. It was something new and something I'd never experienced or gone through. And I think that's why I was so nervous because I didn't know what the outcome was.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

17. “I kind of lost interest in wanting to commit suicide. That was, you know, for me, I think growing up, I always tried to find ways and solutions to move forward and to try to get stronger and try to get better. I think after going through those three days where I was just like sitting there, I was like, I have to be able to figure out something. Like, why am I like this? Why am I so down? Everything was going good kind of good and then all of a sudden this happens. Like, why do I not want to be alive? And just found a way to really kind of ask for help. And I think that was the first time in my life I ever asked for help. I always wanted to do things myself. I wanted to do things and I wanted to try. And if I failed, I figured out another way to get there.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

18. “Yeah, who knows? And I think that honestly scares living hell out of me. And that night I remember I took an ambient and I just didn't know what was going to happen. I didn't know where I was going to be the next day. And the next day I woke up and Was just like, this sucks. Like, I'm not going to leave my room. I'm not going to talk to anybody. I sat there for like two or three days going up, down emotions, up, down, up, down the whole entire time. I sat there The longer I sat there, the more I kind of started to think.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

19. “I wanted to die. I straight wanted to die. For me, traveling so much, I don't think that Traveling a lot, we were prescribed ambient as a kid. We were traveling the world. And I actually look back and I had one ambient left. And I'm actually happy I only had one left.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

20. “If you go back to 2012 or the lead up to 12, I basically, like, I tried to almost really run away from doing any of the work. I didn't want to do a thing. I wanted to be done with sport. I was locked into a couple contracts. I had to swim through the Olympics. I didn't want to do it anymore. So I just forced myself to basically do the bare minimum to get by. And coming out of the games, I was like, thank God, I never have to see that pool again. I never have to put a suit on. I don't have to see coach. I'm done. See ya. Bye. I'm just going to run off and who knows what I'm going to do. I think the path that I was coming on leading into 2014 with trying to just, I mean, I think I was running from something. And obviously at that moment, that night, I mean, I remember everything that happened that night.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

21. “So obviously learn that, but also I think it was probably part, like partially me just running escaping from whatever it is I was escaping, I was escaping from, whether it was childhood things, whether it was stuff that I had going on inside that I didn't want to deal with or stuff related to family or friends or girlfriend, whatever it might have been, like just me outlashing and just going crazy just to get away and let steam off. I mean, and if you go back to 2014, that's exactly what I was doing then.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

22. “I mean, the first time I ever took a drink, I think it was the night I got a DUI. So good first night. You know, I looking back to from 2004 to really probably 2008, 2010-ish, I think that was for me the point in my life where I just kind of experimented with everything that I never did as a kid, you know, from being in that bubble, from living in that bubble for so long. That was kind of like me just letting loose and trying to be a kid quote unquote normal.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

23. “There were like six people there, and that was the one person I didn't And honestly, I remember close people to me were being like, you know who it was. I said, I know exactly who it was. I know the name of the person that it is. I said, what are you going to do? Nothing. What can I do? I can't do anything. That was the decision that I made. And, you know, obviously, you know, that got publicized. And I can't do anything about it. Yeah, it's everywhere. What am I supposed to do?”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

24. “And that honestly, like, I'll never forget that day. And I still talk about that day. Obviously, it's, you know, for me, I learned a lot about who I surround myself with. And I think that was a massive learning experience for me.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

25. “I think as human beings, we know we can't please every single person in the world. And you know what? For me, I want to live my life, how I want to live my life, and I want to be happy. And that's how we choose every single day now to do it.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

26. “On the couch, and Nicole's like, I want to post this, but I can't because I know I'm going to get barbecued by somebody else that's going to say something to me on social media. And it's wrong to do this or do that. And it's like, that's just something you have to consciously think of. And I just said to her, I said, honey, I said, we can live our life how we want. We can do whatever we want. And if somebody doesn't like it, I'm sorry, that's too bad. This is our life. We have to live our life how we want to. And I think that going through the experiences that we've had in the public eye, both together as a family and me personally, I think that's kind of how we, like that's how we live our life every day because you, I mean, you know,”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

27. “Very hard. I was always very hard on myself, and that was just a part of who I am and a part of what I was growing up. And I just, I basically. Blamed me for everything. Yeah, it was frustrating and annoying. And I just felt like, I mean, after you go to an Olympic Games and you're on that level and the world is watching you and you screw up. It is a part of human life, and that's something that I learned afterwards, but there's still no excuse for it. And, you know, I think nowadays Nicole and I have been able to kind of live our life how we want, knowing that everything that we do is under a microscope. Everything that we do. You know, it's like, Nicole, this came up the other day. What was it? She had something. Boomer was laying in Beckett's little like pillow.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

28. “I mean, I think at that moment, you know, really kind of seeing my mom as she was in tears upset, you know, it not only hurt me, but it was like. Need to change this. I need to make sure that I'm learning and I'm moving forward. And I never see my mom like this again. And I don't let people down. And I took all that on myself. And I basically just put all of it on me. It was on me. I was the one that did it and I was the one that made that choice. And I carried that along. I mean”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

29. “I mean, there is something like 1,200 athletes, or it was over 1,000 athletes that weren't tested six months coming into the Rio Games. Really? That's bizarre. I was probably tested 20 times in six months leading to the games. We're not held on the same playing field. And that's not right.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

30. “I didn't care. I mean, like, you know, I specifically put myself through a program to get tested more going into 08, like twice or once or twice a week for blood testing and once or twice a week for urine testing. I made myself available for that. So you have all the results. You have all of my stuff. Look at it. Do whatever you got to do. Like I'm clean. Go ahead. And I didn't care doing that because I wanted the sport to be clean. And I still want sports to be clean. I think it's frustrating now, especially having two kids who hopefully will, you know, have some interest in sports or something, whatever interest they have, it's going to be a conversation that I'm going to have to have where I'm going to have to break down and be like, yeah, some kids cheat and take the easy way out.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

31. “My life literally was written down on a piece of paper and USA and every other doping agency in the world had access to me at any time whenever they wanted, no matter where I was.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

32. “I mean, you knew about it in sports. I mean, I know it from just watching, you know, you think back to like 92 with the Chinese as well. And the East Germans in the late 80s and 70s. So it's like, you know, you see all of these countries who basically taking the easy way out. And I always thought the only person I can control is me. And is it frustrating that I don't know if I've ever swam in a completely clean heat at an Olympic Games or a World Championships? Yeah, it is. But, you know, I can't do anything about it. And the IOC should be doing something about it. The USOC should be doing something about it. And I mean, WADA, all of these drug testing agencies should be stepping up. And, you know, I think what USADA does is doing now in the U.S. with all of their athletes is they're following a perfect protocol. I mean, look, like.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

33. “In swimming, I mean, you kind of knew what was going on in some instances. I mean, I think you saw some of it or you heard about some of it. And it's just, it's something that can't be brushed under the rug anymore. And I think we have to stand up and voice our opinions and be able to talk about what we love and what we want changed in order to do that. And I think that's one of the cool things about being able to have that platform and being able to change it for our future generations who are going to come in and take over the shoes that we walk in. And it's just not right. It's disgusting.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

34. “No, I don't think we do. I think it's kind of frustrating to watch because, like you said, we're competing to represent our country. We're competing to do everything we can to try to win a medal or to try to do our country proud by wearing the stars and stripes international ground. And when we come home from it, they're like kind of, okay, check who's the next kid coming in? Where's the next person? And I think it's sad. And I think for all that we do, all the athletes do and all their respective sports. Obviously, you see now there's a lot of people coming out and talking about NGBs and things that have happened in the past that need to be fixed, need to be changed.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

35. “Because I know it's Therapy, yeah I mean, I've reached out and I've chatted with actually a couple therapists in the area over the last couple weeks just trying to get in and trying to chat because it's hard to get in to even make an appointment. I mean, there are sometimes it takes three weeks to get in to see a therapist”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

36. “And I mean, I've been very lucky that I've been able to kind of turn it and make the adjustment and learn and pick up a lot of tools throughout this process to help me when I'm in times of need. I mean, even now, it's like, you know, for me personally now, it's challenging from day to day with two children. My wife is going baby. Yeah. So it's, it's, and I still find myself kind of reaching out for help.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

37. “I think that's sad. I think it's unfortunate. And it's something that we're working towards now. We actually have a documentary coming up. We're finishing it off talking to Olympic gold medalists from, I mean, everything back from, I guess it would be from 96 games all the way up till today. It started when Steven Holcomb took his life. That was it was around him basically why we started doing this. And I'm hoping to get more people to open up and talk about it and hopefully be able to kind of get this resolved and kind of be able to help people as much as we can because it's something that we have to do. And obviously it's come to the forefront now where people are standing up and talking about it like we had chatted about.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

38. “Especially those who compet Like leaving an Olympics? I mean, like, and I think for me as an Olympian now watching the Winter Games come to kind of come to a close over the last couple weeks and see what they're going to do and see and understand, I know what they're going through emotionally, mentally. And honestly, it saddens me that we still don't have anything put in place to help them make that next transition. Because that's where I truly can say probably 75, 80%, 90% of probably athletes that come off of an Olympic Games go through some kind of post-Olympic depression. And that's something that we have to be able to figure out and have to be able to help people get through because I'm somebody who's gone through at least three or four major depression spells after games that I put my life in danger. And the USOC, in my opinion, hasn't done anything to help us transition after an Olympics.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

39. “First UI, 2004, November, October, November. And those dates, like that three to six, three to four weeks, three to six weeks, it wasn't a good time for me. I mean, because that's when that happened, second DUI happened, photo from 2008 occurred, all in those like three to six weeks. So we didn't know what was going on around that time that was causing me to kind of go crazy and go A-wall and kind of just disappear and put myself in bad situations. So after that one, let me.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

40. “Honestly, just because you work four years to get mentally, physically, emotionally strong and ready for this moment. And after those four years, after you're done, it's kind of like you just take a step and just fall right down. You have no idea where to go, no idea what to do. That, I think, was the start for me to kind of realize that something was going on that I needed to fix.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

41. “Now I just get in the water and raise execute. And when you put me in the pool, I'm going to try to rip that person's head off next to me I'm literally going to destroy the person next to me so bad. Like, that's all I wanted to do. And then obviously if I hit my time, I was happy if I wasn't, then I still won. I was probably upset.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

42. “I mean, but if you have the fear of losing, then you're obviously afraid of losing. But it's like you have that thought already in your head. So it's like, you know, like I knew when I step up to the block, I couldn't come with I have to hit the third turn while I have to get my breakouts while I have to have a good start. I have to do this or do that. Because at that point, you can't change it. I can't change any of the preparation. So all I have to do is get an order.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

43. “I was like, I'm sorry that I wanted to work harder than everybody else. And I wanted to push myself to limits that even I didn't think were possible, but my mind was open to it. And I think that was something that Bob did at a very young age. He just kind of helped me believe that I truly could achieve whatever I wanted. And that's why I always say like, yeah, we can do everything we want. I mean, I'm not going to be able to stand outside and flap my arms and fly, but anything else that I put my mind to, there's obviously a path to get there and certain tools that you have to pick up along the way to be able to make yourself great. And I was willing to do that. I was willing to go through any pain or... Struggle to be able to make sure that I was as ready as I possibly could.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

44. “No. Because it's like for me, like, I tried to keep it as simple as possible. I knew if I was doing the work, I would get the results. So if I did the work every day and I did the work well, then it was just kind of a no-brainer that when it came time that I was going to step up to the block, I had done all the work. I worked harder than the people next to me. And I got the results that I deserved. Like, I mean, I had this guy ask me once. Reporter asked me, he goes, Do you feel bad for winning all the gold medals? And I looked at him with like a dead straight face. And I was like, can you repeat yourself? I was like, I have no idea what's hitting.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

45. “I mean, I think it's like you see it a lot at the Olympic level. You see obviously the great separated from the participants. I guess you can say that. Like the people who are there just to go and show up. And then you have the people who are always achieving the highest possible things that you can. There are people who love to win. There are people who don't like to lose. And I think something for me was I just didn't want to lose. That was the one thing. So I purposely just went out of my way and worked even harder because I didn't care how much pain I was in every day in workout because I knew it was going to be that much greater at the end of the day when I got to the end of the road where I was able to do something that people thought was absolutely impossible. So for me, it was just that switch that competitive switch.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

46. “Carrot in front of me to kind of get me going. I looked for it. Because that's what made me really perform. I mean, you can look at even in 2008, like what people said and like what we went back to with my middle school teacher. Like what people say if they say something negative about me, oh, I eat it. I just eat it and I store it away. And when I get to that point where I need that extra motivation, I think back to that or I go back to that sort of compartment and pull it out to kind of help me go to that next level.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

47. “No, no. So this was, I mean, this was like, I was a kid in a candy store at this point, you know. 15 years old making good money, great money at 15 and signing contracts. And I was like, cool. I was like, okay, I just have to break world record. I was like, can't be that hard. So then I just started piling world records off. I mean, I was swimming better than I ever had. And that was something that kind of always motivated me. Any little slight, like, like,”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

48. “It was great. Like, I get to buy, you know, like as a kid, I wanted to buy a TV and I wanted this leather couch in my room or I wanted a computer. I wanted this. And when it came time to buy a car, I got to buy a car. So it was all these little incentives that I had.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

49. “You know, for me, I had this thing as a kid growing up every time I broke world record, I got to buy something. So that was an incentive for me. So it was kind of fun. So as a...”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source

50. “I think I knew, you know, like for me, like, I had the goal of wanting to be an Olympian, wanting to be a professional athlete, wanting to be a world record holder. And I knew kind of once I first signed my contract in 2001 with Speedo that I knew that I wasn't going to be, like, obviously you want to get paid and you want to get paid well when you're an athlete. So I figured out, the better I did, the more I got paid. So I was like, okay, well, that's all I have to do. I just have to keep working as hard as I can to try to get better and to try to stupid.”

    2020-09-21 · The Axe Files with David Axelrod · Best of the Axe Files: Michael Phelps · IDENTIFIED FROM THE TRANSCRIPT · source