Posted on 08/14/2016 12:03:06 PM PDT by doug from upland
Superstar swimmer Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, nearly committed suicide two years ago. His athletic prowess and success had brought him so much attention over the last decade that sports media nearly worshiped him as a kind of god, but Phelps was struggling to find peace in his heart.
He felt empty inside and sought to fill his pain with drugs and alcohol, which sent him into a downward spiral. In 2009 he was suspended from swimming for three months after a photograph of him using a bong went viral, but that didn’t stop him from partying and living on the edge. In fact, things got worse, culminating in his second DUI arrest in ten years.
Phelps was at his lowest of lows. In the days after his arrest, he isolated himself and kept on drinking.
He admitted in an interview with ESPN, “I had no self-esteem. No self-worth. I thought the world would just be better off without me. I figured that was the best thing to do — just end my life.”
His gold medals couldn’t console him and he had no purpose to keep on living.
Providentially, his family and friends convinced him to check-in at a rehab center and deal with his demons. At first he was reluctant to open up, but after some time he accepted his fate and started on the path of recovery.
Phelps brought with him the book The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren. It had been given to him by former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, and he not only read it; he began to share it with fellow patients. This gave him the nickname at the rehab center of “Preacher Mike.”
He thanked Lewis for the book, saying, “Man this book is crazy! The thing that’s going on…oh my gosh…my brain, I can’t thank you freaking enough, man. You saved my life.” Phelps explained in an interview that the book, “turned me into believing there is a power greater than myself and there is a purpose for me on this planet.”
Athletes kiss their medals, which validate their hard work, but can never love them back. Media accolades are a fickle wind. The love that grounds faith helps restore perspective. In addition to finding faith during rehab, Phelps recognized that much of his unrest was due to the absence of his father for most of his life. His parents He thanked Lewis for the book, saying, “Man this book is crazy! The thing that’s going on…oh my gosh…my brain, I can’t thank you freaking enough, man. You saved my life.” Phelps explained in an interview that the book, “turned me into believing there is a power greater than myself and there is a purpose for me on this planet.”
Athletes kiss their medals, which validate their hard work, but can never love them back. Media accolades are a fickle wind. The love that grounds faith helps restore perspective. In addition to finding faith during rehab, Phelps recognized that much of his unrest was due to the absence of his father for most of his life. His parents were divorced when Phelps was nine and to fill that void he went to the pool. Once water had been conquered, the ache showed itself.
When it was time for Family Week at the rehab center, Phelps reconnected with his father and it proved to be a healing time for both. They hugged for the first time in years and the experience helped Phelps move forward.
A few months after rehab, Phelps asked his longtime girlfriend Nicole Johnson to marry him. Now engaged, their wedding is planned for after the Rio Olympics. Shortly after becoming engaged the two found out Nicole was pregnant, and the recent birth of their son was another turning point for Phelps.
After receiving his son in a warm blanket, Phelps cried. “I just kind of stood there,” he told ESPN, “I didn’t think I would be emotional, but it all just sort of hit me: ‘That’s our son.’ And you suddenly have this new appreciation for what love really is.”
With the new responsibility of a family, tonight’s race could be his last ever. Phelps has said that he plans to retire after Rio. However, he recently said in an interview, “To have our first-born be able to watch — I’ll say this, just in case I come back — my potential last Olympics. Just so you guys don’t beat me to death if I come back, I’m just going to say that: To have him watch the potential last races of my career is something I look forward to being able to share with him.”
By the grace of God Phelps was rescued from the pit and brought into life. Phelps may not be perfect, but his newfound Christian faith has given him a new direction. His success still puts him on a platform, and the media continues to worship him like a god, but this time Phelps seems to have a better sense of who he is in the grand scheme of things, and what really matters. He understands that gold medals – no matter how many one can accumulate – have no power to save.
Don’t you mean Simone Biles, the gymnast? Manuel I though supported BLM.
Did not Phelps just become a Christian?
This is the guy that was proudly dating a tranny a couple years ago?
‘’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’’
Please post the link where it states that Phelps was proudly dating a tranny. Or please apologize for libeling a great American.
Saved by Rick Warren’s book no less!
It's you fool and you're stinking up the place....You're worse than a 7 day beached dead carp in 90 degree weather. Get lost!
You've got to be kidding me.
As a side note, you should see what I found out about you on some porno sites....not flattering at all.
Here come the Puritans..
Do we ostracize him, burn him at the steak, tar and feather him or just destroy him publicly? After all, we can't honor an Olympian of his caliber who is also a damn sinner!
His good Christian values include a bastard child with an unmarried woman. Make that his megachurch values.
Rick Warren - porpoise (intentional spelling) driven life ping?
My word...
what a bunch of nasty posts...
the guy finds faith in God and it helps him find meaning to live and he’s getting racked over the coals by some
Ah, another Puritan hypocrite appears with his basket of stones.
Oh no, that is not the way you do it.
When someone take their first faltering baby steps toward God you are suppose to descend on them like a crazed Cape Buffalo telling them that they are doing it all wrong.
They way you can push them right off the path and then run around buffing your finger nails on your chest and blaming the person or thing that got them on the path for their fall.
Their soul is MUCH less important then puffing up your own sense of self righteousness.
I read this back when it first came out and dismissed it as irrelevant.
An intersex person is not the same as “tranny”, tranvestite, transsexual or whatever. They are born with a birth defect that often gives them both sets of sex organs. It is not a mental condition that needs counseling. The person is not in denial of reality. They just weren’t as lucky as the rest of us and their fetal bodies failed to fully declare themselves.
Don’t get me wrong, I don’t support a person “identifying” as a different gender than the one they are born with. I don’t think it is possible to change if you are fully male or fully female at birth and we have to stop enabling those poor souls in their delusion.
The birth defect that creates a hermaphrodite is rare and tragic. The parents often choose one or the other gender to raise the child as when they should let the child grow up and decide for themselves. Never, never should the parents authorize a surgery until the child can agree to it. I have researched this and seen so many sad, horrible cases of the parents choosing wrongly that I am convinced that the child can only make that decision for themselves.
Obviously, this person was raised as a male when the male part of their anatomy did not define them psychologically as much as the female organs did. Given her unique circumstances, I don’t hold that against her or Michael Phelps for being attracted to her. I think it is cruel to do so just the same as it would be mean to taunt a person with an undeveloped twin’s pelvis sticking out of their side. It may be freakish, but they can’t help it.
I don’t know about what other unwholesomeness might be present in the situation so I can’t comment about that, but in this one detail, I won’t judge either of them.
Another Antinomian who thinks he can keep wallowing in his sin.
Is this before or after he knocked up baby momma?
At least I admit my sin without masquerading as a Puritan hypocrite such as you...
I offer a correction on my last statement, you’re not masquerading as a Puritan hypocrite, you’re in full view.....sorry for the error.
Katie Ledecky said, “I feel comfortable practicing my faith.” She copied the technique of Michael Phelps for one year and excelled in Rio. Hopefully she can encourage Michael to focus on his family and coach.
Shaul didn’t actually become Paul.
The name Paul resulted from translating his name to Greek.
The Greek language has no way of dealing with the name Shaul.
He was known as Shaul all of his life.
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