Michael Phelps, the best swimmer in the world, has a long history of triumphs in Olympic events, with a total of 23 gold medals, he assures that the key to his success in the world of sport is due to the little faith that people had in him since he was a child. In this way, I will briefly summarize the life of this great human being and athlete:

Michael Phelps was born on June 30, 1985 in Baltimore, Maryland, was nicknamed "The Baltimore Bullet" and holds a multitude of international records and titles. In the 2004 Athens Olympics he won 6 gold medals and 2 bronze medals and in the 2008 Beijing Olympics he won 8 gold medals, beating the record of the mythical Spitz. The American swimmer has become an idol and an example to follow for many young people today. What many people still do not know is that Phelps was a hyperactive child.

As a child, Phelps was bullied because his ears were bigger, he was a scrawny boy, who also spoke very fast and did not look people in the eye when they spoke to him, many children criticized him, according to Michael Phelps in his books Limits: The Will to Succeed, Beneath the Surface: My Story. Similarly, since he was in kindergarten he had trouble concentrating and sitting still, and the swimmer remembers a teacher telling his mother that he could never concentrate on anything.

However, it was when he was seven years old that his parents divorced and that attention problem was so much more difficult, Phelps needed something that could get his attention!

His beginnings in swimming happened thanks to his older sisters being in the local aquatics club, so his mother thought he should give it a try too. And so he did, but the Olympic swimmer hated swimming, more specifically he hated tantrums, screaming, punching and swimming goggles, instead, when he learned to swim, he realizes that he could swim very fast, that for once in his life he had control over something; over his movements inside the water.

It was consistency and practice that led Phelps to find his place in the world, the pool became for him his refuge, his escape and his comfort zone, even his mind calmed down when he was in the water. Not only was Michael happy with his new discovery, his passion for swimming, but his mother was delighted that he was swimming, because it was the perfect way to expend as much energy as possible and in as much time as possible, and Michael Phleps had difficulty with mathematics but he could swim for three hours without losing his concentration.

The Olympic swimmer was diagnosed at the age of eleven with ADHD (TDAH), an attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, despite not being able to sit still or concentrate on one thing at a time, he was able to swim and achieve incredible mental mastery by putting all his concentration into the sport. By the age of ten, Phelps was a nationally ranked swimmer and at the age of eleven he met the famous swimming coach Bob Bowman, an intimidating authority who didn't mind the grueling workouts Michael Phelps could perform with little to no fatigue from the effort.

Despite the differences between the pair of coach and athlete, Bowman was very outspoken about Phelps and his potential for success. The swimmer broke through and successfully met the expectations that his family and his coach Bowman had for him, surpassing even himself, at the age of fifteen he swam in what would be his first Games, the 2000 Olympics, since then, he has been victorious at every summer Olympics, taking with him numerous medals and very good placings both on the podium and in the rankings.

Everything was wonderful for Phelps and his mother for the triumphs obtained by the swimmer in competitions and during his training, but not everything is beautiful in this life, much less for the great Olympic shark who after retiring from the world of sport in 2016, told of the cycles of depression he suffered at various times in his life, in 2014 there were moments in which he says he did not want to live, even so, he shared his story to tell us that we are not alone.

The winner of 23 Olympic golds, who said goodbye to his sporting life at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, affirmed that the key to his success was not giving up at times when they did not believe in him and now he tries to transmit that message to the new generations. "In my career many people doubted what I was doing, they doubted me and that was something that motivated me. When I look back, I see the goals I had and that made my success possible," he explained. Despite his difficulties in concentrating, the keys that helped him achieve success were the unconditional support and trust of his parents, a great effort, willpower and above all an exceptional natural talent. The family is always a model for children, we must be aware of encouraging the most positive aspects.

The greatest swimmer in history revealed that, after retiring in 2016, he decided to return to the pools two years later so he could say goodbye for good in the right way at Rio 2016, when he won the 200 butterfly, 200 freestyle and the 4x100 and 4x200 freestyle and 4x100 freestyle relays. "Climbing all the way to the mountaintop was one of the best things. That last climb was one of the happiest moments of my life. From 2008 to 2012 there were not many moments of pleasure, there was blood, tears and sweat (...) In Rio I finished the way I wanted to," stressed the Baltimore Shark.

Phelps, besides being admired for his strength as an athlete, after winning eight medals at the Beijing Olympics, has become an inspiration for those who have to deal with ADHD. He also teaches that it is possible to cope with the disorder and succeed. That is why it is so important to guide these children towards a future where they can develop their working life in a field they enjoy and where their abilities are a strength to succeed.

In many occasions, the lack of knowledge of the disorder on the part of parents, pedagogues and teachers frequently turns the child into a burden for his environment and a headache, but his energy can be channeled positively and an option for it is the sport. What we have to achieve is that each child finds his or her great motivation. Let's not forget that it is important to guide them but always asking them what they like to do and where they feel more comfortable. Sometimes our expectations, as parents, are not theirs. LET'S ASK THEM! And that is when we will make them feel heard and understood.