I saw Michael Phelps compete at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships in Victoria, B.C. in 2006.  I am a fellow swimmer and find him, like many of his fans, inspiring to watch.  Prior to this time, I had only seen him on magazine covers, talk shows, and at the 2004 Olympics.  I will admit that before seeing him, I thought he was this amazingly talented swimmer who had innate talent and did not have to practice.  Also, I thought because he was a celebrity he was somehow different than other swimmers.   However, when seeing him in this environment, my views changed and I became even more impressed with him.   I realized he works extremely hard and that all those medals are well-deserved. He is human like the rest of us.  He may have the physical strength yet it is his mental strength that I admire most and makes him excel.

Participating in sports makes you learn many lessons. Observing athletes can also teach you many things. One of the main lessons that I have learned from athletes trying to better themselves is that they never quit. They are constantly overtired, working so hard and very focused on achieving their goal. Michael Phelps gets up every morning, even on his birthday and Christmas, to swim. Thats impressive, how many times do you wake up and think I'm too tired to do this and then go back to bed. Their drive to persist despite any obstacles impresses me and motivates me to do the same.