Like many people I’ve watched in amazement as Michael Phelps has smashed world record after world record at the Olympics.
At the time of writing he’s added 7 Gold medals to his haul of 6 collected in Athens 4 years ago….. with one more to come this weekend apparently?
His mother has written movingly of his chidlhood ADHD problems, and of how he was severely bullied at school.
In interviews Phelps comes across as mildly inarticulate, shy – displaying no signs of being ‘the greatest Olympian of all times’ which he’s been dubbed by the media.
His diet – designed for endurance and power in his chosen sport – looks to me like a recipe for disaster and – as with many (most?) Olympic medalists, he may be facing a lifetime of health problems (and reduced life-expectancy***) once these glory years are over – unless he drastically modifies his lifestyle and diet – currently 12,000 calories + per day.
He is quoted as saying that all he does is eat, sleep and swim – hardly a formula for a fully realised existence long-term.
But this is now – and hopefully, with good advice and common sense, he’ll become aware that he can move on to other things in life, with an assurance of financial security that is bound to flow from endorsements and appearance fees, for many years to come.
Reflect on his diet for a moment – which, if unmodified, for any length of time will lead to cardiovascular disaster:
***”The average elite athlete will die by the age of 67. That is considerably lower then the 76 year life expectancy of the average American. Do you want to hear something that is really scary? According to the NFL Players Association, the average life expectancy of an NFL player is 58 years of age.”