Michael Phelps

“A real hero, a hero who deserves biography, autobiography or memoir is someone who may attract attention but directs that attention beyond himself or herself and reflects in their daily lives everlasting values” (Harper). In “How Should we Choose Our Heroes,” Charles Harper emphasizes the definition of a hero: one who does not let attention distract him or her from representing the good, wholesome values that society embraces. Nowadays, it is difficult to find a deserving hero who is unaffected by attention. Our heroes have gradually been replaced by celebrities, people who we idolize, but are mainly motivated by fame and money. However, very few celebrities deserve to be hailed as a hero. While celebrities rarely contribute positively to society, true heroes dedicate their time and effort towards improving themselves and society, even if they do not receive recognition for their actions. Instead of chasing fame, true heroes focus on leaving a positive impact on society. Heroic acts range from a firefighter selflessly throwing himself into a burning building to save others, to a teacher who works incredibly hard to provide her students with a better education, or even the inner city kid who struggles through adversity and challenges to become successful. These actions illustrate the important traits that heroes must have: the selflessness to be able to make sacrifices for others, and the dedication to persevere through challenges and adversity to achieve their dreams.

Phelps in a racehttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/Michael_Phelps_%287737963356%29.jpgMichael Phelps, a twenty-three time Olympic Champion and the greatest swimmer of all time, demonstrates the selflessness and the perseverance of a true hero. Born on June 30th, 1985 to Debbie and Fred Phelps, the Baltimore native was introduced to swimming at a very young age. Phelps began swimming when he joined the North Baltimore Aquatic Club at age seven, following in the footsteps of his sisters Hilary and Whitney. He fell in love with the sport, as the pool was one of the only places he could escape the issues that came with his ADHD. With the support of his coach, Bob Bowman, Phelps quickly ascended to swimming’s top stage, becoming one of the best swimmers of his age group and setting national age records. By the time he was fifteen years old, Phelps had already qualified for the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games as one of the youngest American swimmers to qualify for the Olympics. By sixteen, he already held a world record. Phelps dominated the sport of swimming throughout his career, and when he retired in 2016 after the Rio Olympic Games, he finished as the most decorated athlete ever. Over his illustrious sixteen year career, Phelps won twenty-eight Olympic medals and dozens more World Championship medals while setting countless world records along the way. He redefined swimming as a sport, and brought millions of fans to a sport that was once considered second class. Phelps later established the Michael Phelps Foundation, an organization that focuses on promoting healthier eating and exercise in younger children. However, Phelps struggled with a lot of problems out of the pool. He had alcohol and gambling issues, and his biggest challenge was his struggle against depression. Phelps’ depression first started after the 2008 Beijing Olympics, after Phelps had achieved his record breaking eight gold medals in one Olympic games. After doing nothing but training for the past four years, Phelps found it difficult to adjust back to regular life, and fell into depression. The depression kept getting worse and worse, and after the London Olympics in 2012, he “became suicidal after ‘doing the bare minimum’ to compete and wanting to get away from the sport” (Boren). At one point in 2014, the depression became so agonizing that Phelps began to spend days locked in his own room, contemplating suicide. However, after undergoing two months of rehabilitation, he was able to turn his life around and focus back on swimming. Phelps became one of the first athletes to bring publicity and attention to the struggle against depression, working hard to reduce the stigma of depression. He shared his story of depression with the public, serving as an inspiration to others who cope with similar problems. As a celebrity, Phelps goes above and beyond what people expect out of celebrities, acting selflessly and influencing society in a positive way, while also persevering through challenges and working hard to achieve his dreams. Any hero must possess selflessness and perseverance, and Phelps’ benevolent actions and perseverance through obstacles exemplify the selflessness and determination that qualifies him as a deserving hero.

Phelps winning a gold medalhttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/43/Michael_Phelps_-_August_10%2C_2008.JPGPhelps demonstrates perseverance in his determination in the pool and his dedication to the struggle against depression. Becoming a world champion in swimming is not an everyday task. Phelps had to persevere through years of rigorous and intense training to improve himself into the incredible swimmer that he is today. In an interview with CBS, Phelps’ coach and mentor Bob Bowman commented on Phelps’ perseverant work ethic: “‘For about five years he did not take one day off,’...Bowman said Phelps even trained on Christmas Day and on his birthdays” (“Michael Phelps On Making Olympic History”). Phelps did not miss a single day of practice in five years, which shows his determined drive to become a better swimmer. Even on special occasions, Phelps had the dedication to continue on training rather than enjoy a short break, revealing his strong perseverance and willingness to work hard. Phelps was not only determined in the pool; he was resilient when facing depression in real life. Depression impacted his life greatly, stripping Phelps of his enjoyment of swimming and his will to live. However, Phelps still persevered through the depression and stayed focused on his goals, despite the excruciating pain. He later remarked: “I didn't care how much pain I was in every day in workouts because I knew it was going to be greater at the end of the day when I got to the end of the road and I was able to do something that people thought was absolutely impossible. For me, it was just that competitive switch” (qtd. in Boren). Despite the pain from his depression and desire to quit, Phelps kept persevering through and continued to train hard because he was motivated by success. His strong mental attitude shows his willingness to push through the temporary pain and achieve greater feats and reveals his perseverance through difficult situations. Eventually, Phelps would recover from depression and return to the Olympics. Phelps’ struggle influenced many others dealing with depression. Missy Franklin, another olympic swimmer, recently opened up about her depression because she was inspired by Phelps. In an interview, Franklin claimed, “I feel so fortunate because I had so many incredible athletes pave the way for me. I had Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt...openly talk of their depression and what they went through” (Thin). Phelps’ perseverance through depression served as an inspiration for others who suffer from emotional issues, setting him up as a role model for thousands of others in need. Michael’s determination in the pool as well as his resiliency in fighting depression show that he has the perseverance of a deserving hero.

Phelps working to promote pool safetyhttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/The_Michael_Phelps_Foundation_partners_with_Pool_Safely_%2834011784954%29_%28cropped%29.jpgPhelps displays incredible selflessness by willingly sacrificing hard earned money and opportunities to help others. In the 2004 Olympics, Michael Phelps was teammates with Ian Crocker, an American swimmer who was expected to win three gold medals at the Olympics. However, Crocker failed to win gold in his first two events, and in a sudden turn of events, Michael Phelps replaced him in the 400 medley relay. Having his final opportunity at a gold medal ripped from his hands by his own teammate, Crocker was emotionally torn. After seeing how devastated Crocker was, Phelps made a selfless and generous gesture to his friend and competitor: “[Phelps] said he was giving up the butterfly leg he had just earned with a first-place finish to the man he beat….Phelps confessed he wanted to give his teammate another chance” (Adelson). After portraying himself as a superhuman all weekend by winning gold medal after gold medal, Phelps showed his sympathetic, compassionate side, selflessly giving up his position on a relay team that was almost guaranteed to win gold. Phelps’ massive sacrifice to allow his teammate to redeem himself shocked the world. Phelps was more concerned for Crocker feelings than his own achievements, meeting the very definition of what it means to be selfless. Phelps also reveals his selflessness in his eagerness to donate money for a greater cause: “Michael Phelps, who won a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics, is committing the $US1 million sponsor's bonus he earned for his golden haul as the first donation to his own children's charity ” (“Phelps Gives $1 Million to Charity”). Phelps worked incredibly hard for the one million dollar bonus, breaking a world record in doing so. Instead of spending the money on himself, like most people would, he donated every penny of it towards helping children live healthier. This action exemplifies Phelps’ selflessness because it shows that Phelps is willing to put the needs of others in front of his own. Phelps shows selflessness through his generous actions; benevolently donating millions of dollars to charity, as well as giving up an opportunity at another gold medal to alleviate the devastation of a fellow teammate. Instead of indulging in his hard earned success and money, Phelps selflessly dedicates his resources on helping others, portraying him as a deserving hero.

With his altruistic selflessness and generosity to others, as well as his perseverance against any challenge he faces, Phelps meets the definition of a deserving hero. Phelps’s perseverance is shown through his relentless determination to become the world champion and his valiant effort against depression, and his selflessness is illustrated by his eagerness to help others in any way he can. As a result of his heroic traits, Phelps serves as an inspiration to millions of people throughout the world. His story of determination as a swimmer inspires millions of athletes, myself included, by showing how hard work can result in success. As a  soccer player and track runner, Phelps inspires me to train hard every single day to become a faster runner and a smarter and stronger soccer player. His story drives me to never give up in my endeavors as an athlete, despite the challenges and pain. Phelps has also inspired others with his effort against depression. As one of the first athletes to openly talk about depression, his story of bravery and perseverance inspired many others with similar issues to reach out for help. As a role model to people all over the world, Phelps’ achievements and recognition are not what qualify him as a true hero. Instead, Phelps is heroic because he looks beyond the fame, and focuses on serving as a role model that anyone can look up to, regardless of race, gender, and wealth. His perseverance in working hard to overcome any challenge he faces and his selflessness in relinquishing money and opportunities for the greater good are what qualify him as a deserving hero. From his humble upbringing to his astonishing feats, Phelps is not only a champion of the world but also the champion of the people, as one of the few celebrity idols in our world who represent the heroic traits of determination and perseverance that we as a society desperately need.

Works Cited

Adelson, Eric. “Phelps Gives Crocker Another Chance.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 21 Aug. 2004, www.espn.com/olympics/summer04/swimming/columns/story?id=1864096.

Boren, Cindy. "Michael Phelps wants USOC to help athletes cope with depression." Washington Post, 28 Mar. 2018. Biography In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A532596412/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=6d08547d. Accessed 10 Apr. 2019.

Harper, Charles. “How Should We Choose Our Heroes?” The MY HERO Project, myhero.com/TeachersRoom/Show/9.

“Michael Phelps On Making Olympic History.” CBS News, CBS Interactive, www.cbsnews.com/news/michael-phelps-on-making-olympic-history/.

“Phelps Gives $1 Million to Charity.” Townsville Bulletin. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nfh&AN=200809101052724033&site=ehost-live. Accessed 10 Apr. 2019.

Thin, Sandy, and Alex Thomas. “US Swimmer Opens up Missy Franklin about Depression.” CNN, Cable News Network, 27 Mar. 2018, www.cnn.com/2018/03/27/sport/missy-franklin-depression-mental-health-olympics-spt/index.html.