Michael Phelps’s Post-Olympic Depression

When you think of the greatest athletes in sports history, Michael Phelps is undoubtedly one of the first names that comes to mind, regardless of gender or discipline. Phelps holds an astonishing 23 gold medals, making him the most decorated Olympian of all time. Yet even athletes of Phelps' caliber are not immune to the challenges of stress, depression, and anxiety like many think they are.

On May 12, 2024, Phelps sat down with Kristen Welker for an interview on NBC’s Meet the Press, where he opened up about his experiences with post-Olympic depression, specifically highlighting 2008 and 2012 Olympics. He revealed that after every Olympic run, he went through stages of depression, describing the feeling as climbing a hill (training for the Olympics) only to reach the edge of a cliff (after the Olympics). "What now?" he recalled thinking to himself once the Olympics were over. For years, his entire life had revolved around relentless training for an event that was now behind him, and not to occur again for four years. This feeling of emptiness left him unsure of what comes next for him, ultimately leading to his depression stages.

During the interview, Welker asked if Phelps recognized he had depression or if he just felt “off.” Phelps admitted, “I could tell something was off, but I saw it as a sign of weakness. If I shared anything about it, I thought it would give my competitors an edge.”

Phelps is not the minority with his answer. From polished Olympians to pro athletes, to college athletes, all the way to high school athletes, individuals feel scared to speak out on the mental strain they are experiencing due to their sport. Athletes put so many emptions into their sport that their bad performance days affect their lifestyles, more and more athletes struggle to separate their sport from their personal life at all levels.

I explored this mindset further in my book, So You Want to Play College Sports. To the public, athletes are often viewed as superhuman entertainers, making it hard to imagine that they, too, can struggle with mental health challenges. This misconception only deepens the isolation athletes feel. In my book, I noted that while 70% of college athletes know where to access mental health resources, less than half actually seek help—primarily out of fear of damaging their public image.

Mike Lewis/Ola Vista Photography