If you want to be the best, you have to do things that other people aren’t willing to do.
MICHAEL PHELPSIf you want to be the best, you have to do things that other people aren’t willing to do.
MICHAEL PHELPSI want to retire how I want to retire – and I have a great opportunity to do that.
MICHAEL PHELPSI can only control my own performance. If I do my best, then I can feel good at the end of the day.
MICHAEL PHELPSI’ll be working with kids for the rest of my life.
MICHAEL PHELPSI want to be able to look back and say, ‘I’ve done everything I can, and I was successful.’ I don’t want to look back and say I should have done this or that. I’d like to change things for the younger generation of swimmers coming along.
MICHAEL PHELPSThere were times I wouldn’t come to practice, because it didn’t excite me. It wasn’t interesting. I was kind of going through the motions.
MICHAEL PHELPSEvery day after I wake up, I think, ‘Wait, this can’t be real; I’m still going to wake up.’
MICHAEL PHELPSI learned how fast you can go from being an international hero to being a reference in a joke on a late night talk show.
MICHAEL PHELPSIf I bring back only one gold people are going to say it’s a disappointment. But not too many of them own an Olympic gold medal so if I get one I’m going to be happy.
MICHAEL PHELPSEven in high school, I’d tell my mom I was sick of swimming and wanted to try to play golf. She wasn’t too happy. She’d say, ‘Think about this.’ And I’d always end up getting back in the pool.
MICHAEL PHELPSMy goal is one Olympic gold medal. Not many people in this world can say, ‘I’m an Olympic gold medalist.’
MICHAEL PHELPSI got the stamina. I can close.
MICHAEL PHELPSYou can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.
MICHAEL PHELPSI can’t remember the last day I didn’t train.
MICHAEL PHELPSI think goals should never be easy, they should force you to work, even if they are uncomfortable at the time.
MICHAEL PHELPSI still remember the days, not wanting to see anybody, not wanting to talk to anybody, really not wanting to live. I was on an express elevator to the bottom floor, wherever that might be.
MICHAEL PHELPS