The Professional Athlete that I Admire Most

Okay, this one is a given. The professional athlete I admire the most has to be Michael Phelps. But that isn’t just because he was a swimmer (Though that’s part of it.)

I admire Michael Phelps the most because he also had some mental health issues just like me, but he learned to work through them.

Michael Phelps suffered through both Depression and Anxiety, despite being a world-class athlete and winning so many gold medals. He said that he felt post-Olympic Depression; he worked so hard to get there and now it was over. I can really relate to that feeling. When I achieve a goal that I’ve really wanted, I suddenly feel lost, like my purpose is gone. I admire Michael Phelps because he worked through this. He decided to go to therapy, even though there was stigma. People might think he was weak, not tough, and not good. But, after going, he said he felt much better. I also had the same experience. I didn’t want to go to therapy because I thought it would make me look bad, and people would think I was weird, but I can say that therapy is 100% worth it.

Michael Phelps was one of the greatest swimmers of all time, winning 28 gold medals in his entire swimming career. But, he still showed his human side by talking about his mental health issues. I encourage other people to do what Michael Phelps did. Don’t be afraid of going to therapy; it doesn’t make you weak or bad, it shows that you’re human.

“Michael Phelps Rio Olympics 2016” by Agência Brasil Fotografias is licensed under CC BY 2.0.