Success story of Michael Phelps has an incredible 28 medals to his name with 23 of them gold

Inspirational saga of Michael Phelps

In the aftermath of the Rio Olympics 2016, there is one personality whose name has sort of becoming a household name. Yeah, you guessed it right? It is none other the Baltimore Bullet, Michael Phelps, one of the greatest, if not the greatest Olympian the world has ever seen, bagging a total of 28 medals, 23 of them gold in his illustrious career as an ace swimmer. He's been not only called the greatest swimmer ever, but also the greatest Olympian of all time, and Mark Spitz has called him the greatest sportsperson of all time. Michael Phelps is the current world record holder for the highest number of gold medals won in a single Olympic game; an astounding total of 8 golds, beating ace American swimmer Mark Spitz’s record of 7 gold at the 1972 Olympics and 2008 Beijing games. 

Also, he also holds a wide range of "youngest-ever" records. He initially contended in the Olympic Games at the tender age of 15. In the year 2000, at the age of 16, Phelps became the youngest swimmer to set a world swimming record by smashing the world record in the 200m butterfly stroke. 

Big Dreamer

"Dream as large as you can dream and everything is possible. I am kind of in a dream world. Now and then I need to pinch myself to ensure it is real. 

Just after winning his 7th Gold at the Beijing Olympics, Phelps started equaling Mark Spitz's record had been his objective. Phelps had stated that in his dreams he had always wished for that and now has achieved it. During an interview, when asked if he had expected such universal acclaim and spectacular Olympic achievement when he'd begun swimming as a child, Phelps said he'd for a long while been itching to achieve world records and win Olympic golds. 

You can accomplish just what you long for. Self-restricting convictions ("I cannot", "I am unworthy", "I am not skilled") have a much more significant impact on what we do (and thus what results we achieve) than we think. Believing yourself and your capability to accomplish your dreams is a must if you truly want to get up there. As it is said, no dream is way too big. 

Unwavering focus

One look at his stunning physique, it is pretty obvious that he has a body which is most suitable for swimming. Many might say it is a God-given gift. In any case, ask him what makes him so unique, and he will casually state, "I love competition and I want to train and condition myself to beat them all." 

That is the thing that has the greatest effect, to an Olympic level sports profession, as well as to any life for anybody. You and I do not need to star athletes to understand that accomplishment in any field finally depends on your attitude, determination, single-minded focus, and perseverance. 

True grit

Talking about another significant trait of Phelps and one which astonishes all is his capacity to slog it out, hour by hour, day in and day out, month on month and year after year. There was a newspaper write-up on him which depicted his everyday schedule, "Eat, Rest, Train, Repeat." Do you think he could have ever accomplished the sort of outstanding achievement he's currently enjoying if he had not put in such a humongous amount of relentless effort and hard work? Those people who take cover behind the excuse of the dearth of talent, take note if you want to succeed truly in life. 

Down to earth personality

Finally, Phelps’s capacity to keep a cool head amidst all the media frenzy and attention is praiseworthy indeed. Envision how much challenging it must be for him to keep focusing in such an environment. Regardless of what goes on in the world, he has never allowed himself to get distracted or his focus to getting shifted. Neither has all the praise, recognition and accolades made him headstrong and arrogant. Phelps himself has mentioned in several interviews, "There is a lot of things I need to work at," which again is an essential lesson on keeping yourself level headed and your mind focused.

So as the adage goes, you are what you think. The one unforgettable lesson that we all can learn from the life of the living legend, Michael Phelps is think big, go for it, work hard, and without a doubt, you will hit it big sooner or later.