Olympian Michael Phelps spoke out about his experience with depression years after he rose to fame by winning his first Olympic gold medal.
Phelps, 38, revealed in 2018 that she suffered from mental health issues and has since worked as an advocate. He gave an interview to NBC ahead of the Paris Summer Olympics. meet the press.
“I think at that point, as a male athlete, I felt something was wrong,” Phelps said. “But I think it’s a sign of weakness, and I think if I share something about it, I’ll give my competitors an edge. And I’m not trying to do that.” You don’t want to give your competitors an advantage, right?
“I’m trying to be better than anyone that’s ever been,” Phelps said. “So, for me, I thought it was weakness. So, for me, I had to learn that vulnerability is a good thing. It was scary at first, but vulnerability means change. That was a great change for me.”
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Phelps pioneered the discussion of mental health among her fellow Olympians, followed by tennis player Naomi Osaka and gymnast Simone Biles in publicizing their own struggles. But Phelps, who at this age has four children at home, retired from swimming in 2016.
The swimmer holds the record for the most medal-winning Olympic athlete with 23 gold medals, three silver medals, and two bronze medals.
