Michael Phelps is for sure one of the greatest sportsmen of all time who has achieved almost everything in swimming

Michael Phelps Senior, was a state trooper and his mother "Debbie" was a middle-school principal. His parents got divorced when he was just 9 years old, and Gomer, as his teammates called him, has been very attached to his mother ever since. His sisters Hilary and Whitney are swimmers, too, and in fact, watching them swim is what got Michael to take to the water. Around the time when his parents got divorced, Michael was diagnosed with ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). This was another reason for his introduction to swimming, where he could put all his pent-up energy to good use. He instantly took to the water, although initially he wasn't all too comfortable with the idea of putting his head under water, so he would float around for hours together on his back. He soon got used to the water, and in fact, mastered the complex butterfly stroke, one of the most lethal weapons in his arsenal today. Michael was greatly inspired by swimmers Tom Malchow and Tom Dolan, as they fought it out for top honors at the 1996 Summer Olympics. At age 11, he joined the North Baltimore Aquatic Club, and his potential was soon discovered by Bob Bowman, who has mentored him ever since. With unusually long arms and feet, he was most definitely a water baby, born to swim. Phelps was a USA Olympic team member in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 and during 12 years became the most decorated Olympian of all time, with a total of 22 medals.  He holds the records for most Olympic gold medals (18), most such medals in individual events (11), and most such medals at a single games (8, in Beijing 2008). A street in his hometown of Baltimore was renamed The Michael Phelps Way in 2004. With 39 world records (29 individual, 10 relay), Phelps set more records than any other swimmer, surpassing Mark Spitz's previous record of 33 world records (26 individual, 7 relay). All but two of the records were set in a long-course (50-meter) pool. Currently, he holds seven world records, not including his records for most Olympic medals and most Olympic gold medals ever won by one person. Micheal has worked his whole life to achieve all of this. He ended his carrier at the age of 27 right after the London 2012 Olympic Games. This decision was very mature, walking away at the top is how a real sportsman should be remembered. That’s why Micheal Phelp’s is perceived as the best of the best.