Fred Phelps, the father of the greatest Olympic champion in history, Michael Phelps, has died.
The news was revealed by Michael on Instagram Monday.
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The two actually share the same name. Fred’s full name is Michael Fred Phelps, and he named his son Michael Fred Phelps II.
Fred was a Maryland State Trooper for 28 years, and was a football player throughout high school and college, playing at Fairmont State College in West Virginia. He even tried out for the Washington (now Commanders) NFL team.
Michael and Fred had a well-documented complicated relationship, as Fred divorced Phelps’ mother, Debbie Phelps, when he was nine in 1994.
Michael has spoken numerous times about the difficult relationship he had with his father. The two became estranged following the divorce, with Michael feeling as though he was abandoned by Fred. Coach Bob Bowman and agent Peter Carlisle became father figures of sorts for Phelps as his career in the pool began to blossom.
When Michael made his Olympic debut in 2000 in Sydney, Fred informed Michael that he was getting remarried the day after he was done competing, which wasn’t received well.
“The kid just did the Olympics,” Bowman told ESPN in a 2016 interview. “He did pretty well. Here is the first day where he can just enjoy being there and he has this dumped on him? Michael was a basket case. He couldn’t deal with it.”
Another incident that further frayed the relationship came in 2001, when Fred failed to fulfill the promise that he would attend a meet at the U.S. Naval Academy, where Michael ended up breaking a short course American Record.
Debbie and Phelps’ sisters, Whitney and Hilary, became fixtures on NBC broadcasts during Phelps’ Olympic runs, but Fred was absent.
However, as noted in the ESPN article, he always had a close eye on his son’s performances. He was present in 2004, and “cried from 30 feet away” when Michael won his first Olympic gold medal in Athens. In Beijing, he watched Michael’s dominant eight gold medal triumph mostly from a Maryland hospital where his second wife was fighting cancer (she later died).
“Anywhere or anytime it was on, I was watching,” Fred told ESPN. “Really, that was the only way I could see him.”
Fred did his best to stay out of the limelight, turning away reporters who called or knocked on his door for an interview.
It was in October 2014, when Michael attended therapy after a DUI arrest, that their relationship began to heal.
When it came time for family week, Michael ultimately decided to invite Fred, but was unsure if he would come.
“He said, ‘I didn’t know if you would come,’ ” says Fred, according to Sports Illustrated. “I said, ‘You’re my son. Why wouldn’t I come?’ ”
In an interview with Sports Illustrated‘s Tim Layden in 2015, Michael said, “I felt abandoned. I have an amazing mother and two amazing sisters. But I would like to have a father in my life, and I’ve been carrying that around for 20 years.
“That’s a long time. It does something to you. To a kid, especially. Right now I’d like to be able to talk to my father and have him be able to talk to me. Is my family perfect? Far from it. My parents had issues where they thought it was healthy to split. It wasn’t ideal. It wasn’t easy. But what we went through as kids made us as strong as we are. And now my father and I communicate. It’s not fixed. You don’t fix something like that. But it’s better.”
Michael, now married and a father of three, said he saw things in a new light regarding Fred when he entered fatherhood.
“I’ve realized that was the best my father could have done,” he said in a pre-Olympic 2016 feature with ESPN. “It sucks. But I get it. I understand now. I’ve learned a lot on the road that I’ve walked that will make me a better father and help me not make some of the same mistakes.”
Condolences to the Phelps family. It’s very encouraging to see that Phelps wanted to make amends with his dad and heal.
RIP Mr Phelps
May the memory of Fred Phelps endure as a blessing. I am so glad that the Phelps men reconciled while Fred was still alive, and that Michael has not hidden his struggles with depression. In seeking treatment, he undoubtedly has freed other young people to do the same.
Really sad to hear this. Huge amount of respect for both Michael and his father for making the effort to re-establish a relationship later in life. I can’t imagine that would be easy but something that would be worth working for.
Michael has been a huge, huge player in mental health advocacy over these past 7 years or so. Seems like he has a great support system now. I hope he’s handling this all right.
I always had a lot of respect for the fact that Fred stayed out of the limelight and chose to give Michael space. There are many estranged fathers who would jump at the chance to find their own celebrity in their kids’ achievement or go the opposite way and write a tell-all or get paid for a TV interview to cash-in on their estrangement. I’m glad that Michael and his father found some common ground in later years, privately, and it all stayed out of the media. Refreshing in this era that their family matters were always just that and not the news of the day. Peace be with Fred and all the Phelps family.
I always wondered about his dad. Every kid wants to prove themselves to their father, whether or not their dad is on the bleachers, or watching from somewhere. It’s a huge and wonderful responsibility.
I am so proud of Michael for all he has done to shed light on mental health….etc.
Tom Shields, Caleb, and the list goes on.
Any motion forward is for the better of all of us looking for Gratitude Highway.
Thank-you SwimSwam for stretching out and having a forum for the celebration of sport and all it entails.
Thx again Michael Phelps for your honesty and your humility.
Always sad to hear of a passing, may he rest in paradise. Thoughts and prayers to everyone impacted by this.