Winning gold is ‘way less important than having a chance to save a life’: Michael Phelps on finding purpose beyond the pool

Since his swimming career ended, Michael Phelps has been open about his struggles with depression and made mental health a key part of his foundation. (Sean Gardner/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

Almost a decade has passed since Michael Phelps set the world alight on the Olympic stage at Rio 2016, when he took home the most medals of any athlete with five golds and one silver.

And when he called time on his legendary career after those Games as the most decorated Olympian of all time – with an astounding 28 medals across four Olympics – it seemed unthinkable that his name would ever be synonymous with anything other than swimming.

But the 40-year-old has found a new calling since stepping out of the pool, becoming one of the most prominent and outspoken advocates for mental health and well-being in sports and beyond.

“Water safety but also mental health – those two things are who I am,” Phelps told CNN Sports’ Coy Wire.

Those are also the key focuses of the Michael Phelps Foundation.

The organization, which launched in 2008, was initially set up to help young people by promoting healthy living and water safety – as the retired swimmer was himself scared of the water when he first took up the sport at seven years old.

However, as Phelps evolved, so did the purpose of his foundation. And in 2020, it formally expanded its mission to include mental wellness and emotional resilience support for children.

“Being able to implement mental health into my foundation along with swimming, it kind of gives me that purpose again I had when I was competing,” the 23-time Olympic gold medalist said.

Finding purpose beyond the pool

Phelps’ foundation is just one of the many ways in which he’s now diving into his newfound mission.

In 2023, he partnered with online therapy company Talkspace and fronted its “Start from the Top” campaign, an initiative focused on building sustainable mental wellness habits through five key pillars.

He’s also delivered several keynote speeches around the world in recent years, detailing his struggles with depression and the lessons he’s learned through his many trials and tribulations.

The man who spent nearly two decades relentlessly chasing perfection in the pool has now made it his life mission to help others by openly speaking about the treacherous journey it took to achieve it.

And for Phelps, there was one defining, lightbulb moment that changed everything.

“I honestly think it’s really when I got to that point of not wanting to be alive,” he explained. “Once I got to that point, I was like, ‘OK, something is wrong. I need to ask for help.’

“That was the first time that I ever asked for help because I just didn’t know what to do, (and) I’m very thankful that I got the help that I needed because I wanted change.

“And then, at that point, (it was about) just being able to find that ground to stand on and be OK sharing the stories that I talk about.”

Saving lives trumps everything

For many athletes, especially those who have reached the absolute pinnacle of their sport like Phelps did, retirement normally signals the end of an arduous journey and a time for nostalgic reflection.

But for Phelps, when he jumped out of the pool professionally for the final time in Rio 2016, his work was far from finished.

There was still another race to run. One that, according to the Olympic icon himself, has a far greater reach than any of his sporting achievements.

“I remember after the 2016 Olympics, I was at Microsoft and this kid … I say ‘kid,’ he was probably 25 years old, stood up and he was like, ‘I have my dream job. Everything I’ve ever wanted to do has happened. And I don’t want to be alive anymore.’

“And I was like, ‘Bro, I hear you. I’ve had those thoughts before.’ So we had that moment where he was like, ‘You sharing that gave me the power or the confidence to open up and share.’”

In sports, vulnerability can often be misinterpreted as a sign of weakness – especially in elite athletes who are idolized by millions.

By continuing to speak so candidly about the importance of mental health, Phelps is helping to shift the narrative.

The motivation is no longer gold medals, but something far more important: “For me, winning a gold medal is way less important than having a chance to save a life.”

By Emile Nuh, Coy Wire, CNN