“It’s a fact” – Michael Phelps reiterates his quote on success
Michael Phelps is the greatest athlete the Olympics have ever seen. During his time in the pool, the American phenomenon dominated the sport in almost every competition he attended. To this day, long after his retirement, Phelps remains one of the most influential figures in the world. His efforts in promoting young people's aspirations are second to none.
In one such feat, Michael Phelps posted a message on his Facebook wall in 2012 for everyone who dared to dream:
"You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get."
Twelve years have passed since Phelps posted this. On Thursday, he reiterated the point he made over a decade ago, calling it a "fact."
An account on Instagram posted an image of the legendary swimmer with his quote from 2012. Phelps shared this post to his Instagram story, backing his decade-old advice.
"It's a fact."
Michael Phelps: Road to a successful career
Six years after his retirement, Phelps remains the most successful swimmer of all time. His record at the Olympics and the World Championships speaks for itself. Phelps' name became a staple in the sport of swimming after his successful run at the Olympics in 2004. However, every story has a beginning and every successful feat starts with a dream.
Phelps began swimming at the age of seven in search of a sport to expend his energy on. In a conversation with celebrity show host Jimmy Fallon after his retirement in 2016, Phelps said:
"The only reason I ever got in the water was my mom wanted me to just learn how to swim. My sisters and myself fell in love with the sport, and we decided to swim."
Soon after, Phelps realized his potential. He began breaking national records within his age group by the time he was ten. He then joined the North Baltimore Aquatic Club and began training under the watchful eye of Bob Bowman. The rest of the legendary swimmer's career saw him follow Bowman around the country to train under him.
In the 2000 Olympics, a 15-year-old Phelps swam for his country. The world saw his potential as he finished in fifth place in the 200-meter butterfly.
This was when he started dreaming. Realizing what he was capable of, Phelps trained harder and harder each day to achieve his dream of winning an Olympic gold medal. By 2003, he had already made a name for himself at the World Championships in Barcelona, where he won four gold medals for the States. Phelps entered his second Olympics on fire. He went on to achieve his dream and more! At the 2004 Olympics, he won not one, but six gold medals for his country.
Many people would probably consider this a cap. A cap on the limits of dreaming, but not Phelps. Sticking to his aforementioned quote, he went to dominate the sport until his retirement in 2016.
With 28 medals at the Olympics and 33 medals at the World Championships, Phelps is the greatest swimmer the world has ever seen. It will take an extraordinary decades-long run for anyone else to surpass him.