How did Micheal phelps start?

Answer 1

Phelps was born and raised in the Rodgers Forge neighborhood of Towson, Maryland, located just outside of Baltimore City. His father, Fred, was a football player in high school and almost made the team for the Washington Redskins. His mother Deborah "Debbie" Phelps is a middle school principal. Phelps began swimming at the age of seven, partly because of the influence of his sisters and partly to provide him with an outlet for his energy. When Phelps was in the sixth grade, he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Phelps trained at the North Baltimore Aquatic Club under coach Bob Bowman and excelled as a swimmer. By the age of 10, he held a national record for his age group. More age group records followed, and Phelps' rapid improvement culminated in his qualifying for the 2000 Summer Olympics at the age of 15 and becoming the youngest male to make a US. Olympic swim team in 68 years. While he did not win a medal, he did make the finals and finished fifth in the 200m butterfly.

At the World Championship Trials for the 2001 World Aquatics Championships, Phelps broke the world record in the 200m butterfly to become, at 15 years and 9 months, the youngest man ever to set a swimming world record, breaking the record previously held by Ian Thorpe when he lowered the 400m freestyle world record at 16 years, 10 months. At the World Championships in Fukuoka, Phelps broke his own world record in the 200m butterfly en route to becoming a world champion for the first time.