Michael Phelps

I haven't swam in any of the rivers outside of Baltimore. I try to keep it in the pool.

— Michael Phelps

I'll be working with kids for the rest of my life.

— Michael Phelps

Swimming is normal for me. I'm relaxed. I'm comfortable, and I know my surroundings. It's my home.

— Michael Phelps

Even in high school, I'd tell my mom I was sick of swimming and wanted to try to play golf. She wasn't too happy. She'd say, 'Think about this.' And I'd always end up getting back in the pool.

— Michael Phelps

If you want to be the best, you have to do things that other people aren't willing to do.

— Michael Phelps

Even in high school, I'd tell my mom I was sick of swimming and wanted to try to play golf. She wasn't too happy. She'd say, 'Think about this.' And I'd always end up getting back in the pool.

— Michael Phelps

I think sometimes I guess you see records, say you want to get there and use that as motivation. In a way, it's kind of cool if there is a possibility to rewrite history and be up there with the greats of Olympic history.

— Michael Phelps

I can only control my own performance. If I do my best, then I can feel good at the end of the day.

— Michael Phelps

I can only control my own performance. If I do my best, then I can feel good at the end of the day.

— Michael Phelps

There is a one woman in China that claimed she paid $50 to get my e-mail address. It was pretty shocking. I got one this morning from Scotland. A girl's requesting a signed photo of me.

— Michael Phelps

I eat pretty much whatever I want. I don't have a strict diet. It's all about cramming in as many calories into my system as I possibly can.

— Michael Phelps

I want to be able to look back and say, 'I've done everything I can, and I was successful.' I don't want to look back and say I should have done this or that. I'd like to change things for the younger generation of swimmers coming along.

— Michael Phelps

And, you know, being able to wear the stars and stripes, when you step up on one of the blocks or, you know, when you step off of an airplane or when you hear the national anthem play, you know, it's one of the greatest feelings in the world because you know that there are people at home who are supporting you and watching you.

— Michael Phelps

Dream as big as you can dream, and anything is possible.

— Michael Phelps

Records are always made to be broken no matter what they are. Anybody can do anything that they set their mind to.

— Michael Phelps

It's not how you start, but it's how you finish.

— Michael Phelps

You can't put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.

— Michael Phelps

The more you dream the more you achieve.

— Michael Phelps

I can only control my own performance. If I do my best, then I can feel good at the end of the day.

— Michael Phelps

I think goals should never be easy, they should force you to work, even if they are uncomfortable at the time.

— Michael Phelps

I want to be able to look back and say, 'I've done everything I can, and I was successful.' I don't want to look back and say I should have done this or that. I'd like to change things for the younger generation of swimmers coming along.

— Michael Phelps

I think everybody pees in the pool. It's kind of a normal thing to do for swimmers.

— Michael Phelps

It's cool just because I've had this dream of changing the sport of swimming and it's finally happening.

— Michael Phelps

I believe in God; I'm not saying I'm highly religious.

— Michael Phelps

I've never lifted a single weight in my life.

— Michael Phelps

I listen to music before my competitions to get me pumped up. It helps me stay focused.

— Michael Phelps

I think the biggest things I am looking forward to is getting new faces into the sport. Getting kids who could be afraid of water to feel comfortable in the pool.

— Michael Phelps

It doesn't matter what else is going on. When you walk into your arena or your - whatever you excel at, you're there to take care of the job that you have to do.

— Michael Phelps

I have reached a place in my life where I need to sit down and say, 'Well, what do I do? What's best for me?' I need to look into options for the future.

— Michael Phelps

Being compared to Ian Thorpe, that could be one of the greatest compliments you could ever get in swimming - being compared to him and Mark Spitz.

— Michael Phelps

If I bring back only one gold people are going to say it's a disappointment. But not too many of them own an Olympic gold medal so if I get one I'm going to be happy.

— Michael Phelps

Every day after I wake up, I think, 'Wait... this can't be real; I'm still going to wake up.'

— Michael Phelps

I have reached a place in my life where I need to sit down and say, 'Well, what do I do? What's best for me?' I need to look into options for the future.

— Michael Phelps

Once I'm already in my room, I still have to open a door to get into my bed. It's like a giant box. It's like the boy in a bubble.

— Michael Phelps

Why is it such a big deal what I'm swimming?

— Michael Phelps

I'm so sick of the water.

— Michael Phelps

My goal is one Olympic gold medal. Not many people in this world can say, 'I'm an Olympic gold medalist.'

— Michael Phelps

I live a pretty conservative life, so I probably really haven't done anything crazy.

— Michael Phelps

I have a lot of goals, but I think that I just want to take it day by day.

— Michael Phelps

If I didn't swim my best, I'd think about it at school, at dinner, with my friends. It would drive me crazy.

— Michael Phelps

I have the opportunity to be part of swimming history. To take the sport to a new level would be an honor for me. There's no better time to try this than now.

— Michael Phelps

For so long, I looked at myself as literally a kid who was talented who would go up and down the pool. That's it. Nothing else. Very few people knew who I really was.

— Michael Phelps

I think to be - for me to be an American is - you know, it's one of the greatest things in the world for - you know, for me just because I've been able to grow up with everything. The freedom. You know, in my eyes this is the greatest country in the world.

— Michael Phelps

I got the stamina. I can close.

— Michael Phelps

I know it won't be eight medals again. If you want to compare me to that, that's your decision, not mine. I'm going out there to try to accomplish the things that I have in my mind and in my heart.

— Michael Phelps

I learned how fast you can go from being an international hero to being a reference in a joke on a late night talk show.

— Michael Phelps

There were times I wouldn't come to practice, because it didn't excite me. It wasn't interesting. I was kind of going through the motions.

— Michael Phelps

My mom put me and my sisters in the water to feel comfortable, to have water safety.

— Michael Phelps

If you want to be the best, you have to do things that other people aren't willing to do.

— Michael Phelps

I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and you put the work and time into it. I think your mind really controls everything.

— Michael Phelps

Swimming is normal for me. I'm relaxed. I'm comfortable, and I know my surroundings. It's my home.

— Michael Phelps

I won't predict anything historic. But nothing is impossible.

— Michael Phelps

I wouldn't say anything is impossible. I think that everything is possible as long as you put your mind to it and put the work and time into it.

— Michael Phelps

I feel most at home in the water. I disappear. That's where I belong.

— Michael Phelps

I can't remember the last day I didn't train.

— Michael Phelps

There are too many kids who are drowning for lack of water safety. That's something I'd like to do. Teaching kids to live an active lifestyle.

— Michael Phelps

I eat pretty much whatever I want. I don't have a strict diet. It's all about cramming in as many calories into my system as I possibly can.

— Michael Phelps

I try to separate my personal life from swimming.

— Michael Phelps

For the millionth time, I'm retired. I keep saying it, and people keep answering, 'Well, maybe he doesn't mean it this time.' But I do.

— Michael Phelps

This is my 20th year in the sport. I've known swimming and that's it. I don't want to swim past age 30; if I continue after this Olympics, and come back in 2016, I'll be 31. I'm looking forward to being able to see the other side of the fence.

— Michael Phelps

I still remember the days, not wanting to see anybody, not wanting to talk to anybody, really not wanting to live. I was on an express elevator to the bottom floor, wherever that might be.

— Michael Phelps

I usually try to eat lot of calories. With so many events, it is important to sustain a high level of energy through the entire meet. I usually eat two hours before a meet.

— Michael Phelps

Growing up in high school, I wasn't hanging out with friends every day or on the weekends. Doing normal high school kid things was something I was willing to give up.

— Michael Phelps

People say to me, 'You're so lucky. You get to see the world.' But I don't. I go to the hotel and to the pools and back again. That's it.

— Michael Phelps

Even in high school, I'd tell my mom I was sick of swimming and wanted to try to play golf. She wasn't too happy. She'd say, 'Think about this.' And I'd always end up getting back in the pool.

— Michael Phelps

I always thought, it would be neat to make the Olympic team.

— Michael Phelps

I want to go to the World Cup. I want to go to the Masters. I want to go... anywhere.

— Michael Phelps

I like to just think of myself as a normal person who just has a passion, has a goal and a dream and goes out and does it. And that's really how I've always lived my life.

— Michael Phelps

There is a one woman in China that claimed she paid $50 to get my e-mail address. It was pretty shocking. I got one this morning from Scotland. A girl's requesting a signed photo of me.

— Michael Phelps

I want to test my maximum and see how much I can do. And I want to change the world of swimming.

— Michael Phelps

And, you know, being able to wear the stars and stripes, when you step up on one of the blocks or, you know, when you step off of an airplane or when you hear the national anthem play, you know, it's one of the greatest feelings in the world because you know that there are people at home who are supporting you and watching you.

— Michael Phelps

I want to retire how I want to retire - and I have a great opportunity to do that.

— Michael Phelps

I consider myself normal. I've spent 20 years in the pool. I consider that something that's normal.

— Michael Phelps

I used to always go to church on holidays, but I don't go much any more.

— Michael Phelps

I think sometimes I guess you see records, say you want to get there and use that as motivation. In a way, it's kind of cool if there is a possibility to rewrite history and be up there with the greats of Olympic history.

— Michael Phelps

I'm a Dunkin' Donuts kind of guy. I also like Cadbury's.

— Michael Phelps

I'm the same kind of guy before all this happened.

— Michael Phelps

Yeah, my friends call me Mike, Michael or just my last name.

— Michael Phelps

I am 26 and, and I don't recover as fast as I have in the past.

— Michael Phelps

Once I retire, I'm retiring. I'm done.

— Michael Phelps

Any Olympic sport is great to watch.

— Michael Phelps

I got a Cadillac Escalade. Put some rims on it, threw a couple TV's in there, and installed a system. I stuck my Xbox in there. I had to go for it.

— Michael Phelps

I want to continue the sport of swimming. I'm not going to give up until I think it's reached where I want it to go.

— Michael Phelps

So, you know, if, if I wanted to get up and just play golf one day, I would just get up and play golf. If I wanted to go to Vegas, I would just get up and go to Vegas.

— Michael Phelps

I've been able to get an excitement back in the water.

— Michael Phelps

Every sponsor I've had has been something that fit my lifestyle, fit my personality.

— Michael Phelps