Phelps puts his mind to helping others

SYDNEY, Australia — Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time, on Monday joined the board of an Australian mental health company, a subject close to his heart after his struggles with depression and substance abuse.

The American, who won 28 Olympic medals and quit swimming last year, said joining Medibio met his aim to raise awareness of mental health problems.

“I personally suffered from mental health challenges from my teenage years on, and only fairly recently — after reaching a point of desperation — did I acquire the understanding, treatment, and support I needed, which has truly changed my life,” he said.

“For me, self-awareness, from a mental health standpoint, is empowerment.”

Medibio has developed a test to help diagnose depression, chronic stress and other disorders, using circadian, sleep and other information such as blood pressure.

Phelps, who was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) when he was nine, is already an ambassador for the Child Mind Institute’s #MyYoungerSelf social media campaign to help end the stigmas associated with mental health and learning disorders.

He isn’t the only pool great to suffer mental problems: Australia’s Ian Thorpe has also struggled with depression and received treatment in 2014 after being found disoriented on a Sydney street.

Fellow Aussie Grant Hackett also sought help this year — including from Phelps — after his arrest following a family squabble the latest in a series of troubling incidents involving the 37-year-old.

“I want to help others who are dealing with these challenges and make the process for them to take action easier and more understandable,” Phelps said as part of Medibio’s announcement to the stock market.

Phelps, known as ‘The Baltimore Bullet’, is regarded as the greatest swimmer in history, but it came at a price.

After winning four gold medals and two silvers at the 2012 London Olympics, he revealed he was “haunted” by knowing he failed to prepare as well as he could have.

A comeback to the pool in 2014 ground to a halt within months when he was caught speeding down a Maryland highway while under the influence of alcohol.

The incident launched him on a “brutal” personal journey that included a stint in rehab.