There is a special class of athletes who are the greatest of anyone to play their sport. Michael Jordan, Babe Ruth, Wayne Gretzky, Roger Federer, and Jim Brown are members of this elite class. This summer, another man joined this class of the elite. In the pools of Sydney, Athens, Beijing, and London, Michael Phelps swam his way to the title of “Greatest Olympian of All Time.”
Perhaps it isn’t fair to place this into the category of “Olympic Moment.” It was not a single moment that resulted in Phelps’s coronation at the pinnacle of sport, rather a culmination of sterling performances as an aggregate over the course of twelve years. After an underwhelming start to the games, Michael earned four gold and two silver medals in 2012, bringing his career total to 22 medals. No other Olympian has twenty. It is entirely indisputable that he is the most decorated Olympian of all time and the greatest swimmer to live. Though some may dissent, Phelps is, and ought to be, considered to be the Greatest Olympian of All Time.
A fantastic compilation by the L.A. Times shows Phelps with each of his 22 medals
We can all relate to the quest and accomplishments of Michael Phelps. And I don’t mean we have all swam in a pool before, or been dubbed the greatest of all time at something. I am referring to the story of achievement that is the Michael Phelps story. After winning medal number nineteen, setting him aside from all other Olympic athletes, Phelps told his coach something we all aspire to utter one day. He said “I have achieved everything that I wanted to.”
Achievement. It is something we all can relate to; perhaps on more of a microscale. We have all set goals, and hopefully we have all experienced the incredible feeling that results from realizing those goals. In London, Michael Phelps showed us the limitless expanse of possibility when we set and achieve goals. You never know; sometimes achievement gives you the title of Greatest of All Time.
Photo Credit:
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