Phelps was born and raised in Baltimore County, located in the state of Maryland in the United States of America. He graduated from Towson High School in 2003. His father, Fred Phelps, worked for the Maryland State Police, and his mother, Deborah Sue "Debbie" Davisson Phelps, is director of school. They divorced in 1994. Michael has two older sisters, Whitney and Hilary. Both were also swimmers. Whitney came close to joining the national team of the United States who participated in The XXVI Olympic Games in Atlanta in 1996, before his injury ended their career. When he was young, he was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder with hyperactivity. Because of that he started swimming at age seven, partly because of the influence of his sisters, and to discharge energy.He soon excelled as a swimmer, and at the age of ten, set a national record in his age group. Then continued breaking records of this nature and, thanks to its improvement, soon managed to qualify for the 2000 Sydney Olympics at the age of 15.
In November 2004, at the age of 19, Phelps was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Salisbury, Maryland. He pleaded guilty, and sentenced to serve 18 months probation, fined $ 250 and give talks to young people from secondary schools about driving and drinking. After the incident, the journalist Matt Lauer interviewed Phelps in the "Today Show". Michael said he had been an isolated incident, and had been a great disappointment to him, his family, and for many Americans.
In 2004 and 2008, Phelps attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, studying "Sports, advertising, and administration." In May 2008, announced his intention to return to Baltimore after the 2008 Beijing Olympics with his coach Bob Bowman, who also left the University of Michigan, to be the director of the North Baltimore Aquatic Club. Phelps bought a house in the neighborhood of Fells Point in Maryland, where he has resided since the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
It is estimated that Phelps has earned a profit of $ 5 million a year for the promotion of products, including $ 1 million for being the image of Mazda in China.
After receiving a bonus of one million dollars from Speedo swimwear brand, to win at least 7 gold medals at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, Phelps used this money to create the Michael Phelps Foundation (Michael Phelps) , which is a charitable foundation to promote water safety and swimming among children. Later, Speedo, donated an additional $ 200,000 for the foundation.
On December 1, 2008, the North American magazine "TV Guide" Phelps selected as one of the 10 Most Fascinating People of America.
In early 2009, Phelps admitted displaying a regrettable behavior, following the publication of a photo in the Gazette News of the World on which was using a bong (water pipe), device used for smoking marijuana. On 16 February, in a subsequent investigation, the Department Richland County Sheriff announced that Phelps would not be prosecuted because there was insufficient evidence. Following that incident the American Federation of Swimming (USA Swimming), suspended Phelps from competitive swimming for a period of three months, and Kellogg's announced it would not renew its advertising contract with the swimmer.
On April 9, 2009, Phelps was invited to appear before the Maryland House of Delegates and Senate of Maryland, to be honored for their accomplishments Olympians. He received many cheers from lawmakers in both chambers.Phelps is co-founder of the "Swim with the Stars", with Ian Crocker and Lenny Krayzelburg. This program is responsible for promoting swimming pools and runs camps for people of all ages.
Phelps was invited to attend the XXI Olympic Winter Games held in the Canadian city of Vancouver. On July 31, 2012 becomes the most decorated athlete in the history of the Olympics to get its 19th medal, beating the previous record of 18 Olympic medals won by the Soviet Larissa Latynina.
And today Phelps, is competing from United States, in the Olimpic Games of London 2012.
