Champion swimmer Michael Phelps opens up about depression to help others
TO help confront the pervasive issue of mental illness in society, champion swimmer Michael Phelps wants to share his story.
Other Sports
Don't miss out on the headlines from Other Sports. Followed categories will be added to My News.
TO help confront the pervasive issue of mental illness in society, Michael Phelps wants to share his story.
And so he does. Off-the-blocks like in a 100 ‘fly.
Tee-up a phone interview with the greatest swimmer who ever lived and before you know it’s “Hi, Michael Phelps here” on the line.
And then he talks. And talks and talks.
“I have a goal and I am going to try and achieve it. Now it is just on land instead of in a swimming pool,” Phelps says.
“Hopefully me sharing my story can help. This is a different point in my life. I am more outgoing.
“I am the real me, I guess you could say.”
The former Phelps needs no introduction.
A swimming phenomenon who swam at five Olympic Games and, via his freakish talent and a burning hatred of second place, collected a record 28 Olympic medals. A record 23 gold. A record amount of records.
Phelps was more driven than John Daly’s one-wood.
But things went downhill after Phelps walked away from the pool in 2012, sick-and-tired of that black line on the bottom.
“I was obviously nowhere near ready to be done. I just wanted a break,” Phelps said.
“But when I retired I found myself in another dark hole where I went down a downward spiral.”
Phelps turned to drinking and partying, and given he’d struggled with depression for much of his life, it was a dangerous mix.
He was arrested for DUI in 2014 and has admitted since that suicidal thoughts floated through his mind.
Phelps got help, entered rehab and got back in the pool. He won another five gold medals in Rio last year and now married and with a young son, Phelps is in a good place for retirement 2.0.
He is adjusting to “life on land” but already Phelps has refocused that incredible drive towards helping others battling mental health problems.
Last week he joined the board of Australian medical technology company Medibio, who have developed a wearable diagnostic tool to help better identify mental health problems, and point toward appropriate treatments.
“For me, being a part of this, it is something I truly wanted to do because it is a passion of mine,” Phelps said.
“It is not looked at as closely as it should be. It is something I have obviously gone through first hand.
“It was good for me to understand it’s okay to not be okay. For me it was hard to put my hand out and ask for help. That’s the one thing that probably singlehandedly changed my life and saved my life.
“If we can get out and figure out some solutions to be able to change someone’s life then that’s something that’s extremely exciting for me.”
After 15 years of research at the University of Western Australia, Medibio’s test measures “circadian, sleep and autonomic system biomarkers” to arm doctors with more data for patients. Currently, mental health diagnoses are largely done verbally.
It was this difference that saw Phelps contact Jack Cosetino, the CEO of Medibio, to get involved. Phelps began wearing the device and fed into the company’s research.
“Numbers have always been something that were very important to me so for me going back and say: “okay, if I was mildly depressed or stressed this day, what was I doing the day before and what events occurred the night before?,” Phelps said.
“I can go back to it and think about it and try to change or just be aware of those things. It is just so powerful and I am so excited for everybody to have the chance to try it.”
Cosetino said he was “very pleased to have Phelps on board.”
“This is a massive, massive illness. Every 40 seconds someone commits suicide due to depression,” he said.
“Michael has a reach that spans the globe and can make an enormous contribution.”
Originally published as Champion swimmer Michael Phelps opens up about depression to help others
Why super-fast Australian crew still underdogs in Youth America’s Cup
They are sailing faster than they have ever done but a quartet of Australian sailing rising stars still enter the Youth Americas Cup as rank underdogs thanks to a strange rule.
Thrillers, blowouts! Sariah Paki, Madison Ashby 7s grand final wrap
There were bursts of speed, great skills in wild winds and multiple scorers as the Sariah Paki and Madi Ashby 7s girl’s rugby season came to an end. Stars and result wrap from grand final day.