‘If McGregor wants to swim, I’ll race him!’
Not content with taking on a great white shark, Olympic legend Michael Phelps lays down the gauntlet to MMA fighter Conor McGregor whilst in Dubai yesterday
PERHAPS IT’S
DOWN to the proliferation of news and rumours about Michael Phelps’ USA swimming teammate Ryan Lochte and his dopey shenanigans and television appearances, but we really didn’t know what to expect when waiting for the greatest Olympian of all time at The Dubai Mall yesterday. Fragments of information, aside from his astounding tally of 28 Olympic medals, had filtered through including sustaining his reported 12,000-calorie per day diet (actually eight to 10,000 according to the man himself) with more than a few orders of chicken nuggets. Was this to be a meeting with a stereotypical fast-food munching jock? Nothing could be further from the truth. The man who greeted fans, competition-winners, young swimmers and the media at the opening of a new sports wear store was the epitome of a professional athlete and an accomplished, not to mention charming, public speaker. Witty, eloquent and heartfelt throughout the discussion, which encompassed his recent ‘race’ with a great white shark for the Discovery Channel, a very much tongue-in-cheek challenge handed out to MMA fighter Conor McGregor and advice for the attending kids, we dare anyone who is lucky enough to meet Michael not to be impressed. Here are a few of our highlights.
Now you’ve retired, do you believe you’ve accomplished everything you wanted?
To hang my suit up when I wanted to and never have a ‘what if?’, that was my goal. I can look back on my career now and say ‘I did it my way.’ Rio [2016 Olympic Games]
was my last and it was just about having fun. Being a dad and being the old dude on the team, to have some people come up to me and say ‘I had a poster of you on my wall as a kid’, I’m at a stage of my life where I can understand that. I’m proud of it and hopefully I can inspire kids in many different sports to go for their dreams.
You’ve called out Conor McGregor for a swimming race, would you do it?
I don’t know about calling him out! Honestly I did it as a joke. Somebody kept sending me a picture on social media of us side-by-side and I just said, let’s take a vote. If he wants to swim, I’ll race him. I think it will be comical. I don’t know if he’ll accept it, but if he did we’d have some fun with it.
How would it compare to taking on the great white?
When it comes to sharks, that’s where I am the biggest nerd. I love the ocean. I love the animals. I’ve had the opportunity to swim with many different species of shark. The coolest part was seeing a 13-foot hammerhead six inches to a foot away from my face. I’d like to do more. Hopefully I’ll get back in the water soon.
Your approach to training was revolutionary, do you keep it up?
My coach, Bob, always said if you take one day off, it takes two days to get back to where you were. So I wanted to take a step ahead of everyone else. They weren’t training on Sundays or holidays. So for me, every single year I had 52 extra days ahead of every other person. It was easy to make that sacrifice on Christmas or on my birthday. The people who are great will do things when they don’t always want to accomplish their goal.
I found in the past where I’ve taken six months off and done nothing, I gained 40 pounds. So for me now, to be the best husband and father, I need to get in the gym and do things. Health and wellness are so important. They have been my concern for the last 20 years.
Talent or training?
It’s a combination of giving your all every day and sacrifices. But the most important thing for me is what’s between my ears. It was my mental game. I would prepare myself for the good, the bad and the ugly. I learnt to stay calm. If I weren’t then I wouldn’t have been able to compete.
What do you miss most about the lifestyle?
Nothing! No, having the opportunity to represent my country is one of the coolest things in the world. The number one thing I’ll miss though is standing on top of the podium with a gold medal around your neck listening to the national anthem play. There’s nothing better than that. It’ll stink not having that anymore.
You’re so busy, does it feel like you have properly retired?
I can’t sit still. It’s my ADHD that kicks in and bounces me off the walls. What I’m doing now is probably more challenging than swimming for an Olympics because it’s something different. It’s so exciting, though. Being able to stand out of the pool and helping kids in the pool is great. Talking about mental health is something that is a big part of my life.
For me, I can say I have gone through depression a handful of times and found myself in the darkest possible place, not wanting to be alive. Being able to battle through, with help, and come back, like I did in 2016, goes to show anyone can do it. You can do anything you put your mind to.
What advice would you have for any sports people?
The sky is the limit. That’s what I believe. If you want something bad enough, you’re the only person who can stop you from achieving it.
People probably thought I was crazy wanting to achieve eight gold medals [in one Olympic Games], but I did it. I was dedicated. That’s important: never, ever give up.
My career wasn’t smooth. Have goals you want to achieve, make them meaningful and challenging. If you try you will get there. If you don’t make them first time, don’t give up.