Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps is the most-decorated Olympic athlete of all time with a total of 28 medals, 23 of which are gold. Phelps earned the World Swimmer of the Year Award eight times and the American Swimmer of the Year Award 11 times. He announced his retirement following the 2012 Olympics but later made a comeback, officially retiring after the 2016 Summer Olympics.

In 2004, Phelps was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol at the age of 19. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months of probation under which he was obligated to give speeches to students about the dangers of alcohol, attend a Mothers Against Drunk Driving meeting and was fined $250. In 2009, a photograph of Phelps using a bong went viral, resulting in the loss of his Kellogg’s sponsorship and a three-month suspension by USA Swimming. Phelps was charged with speeding, crossing double lane lines and a second DUI in 2014, resulting in 18 months of probation, a one-year suspended prison sentence and a six-month suspension by USA Swimming.

Phelps secretly married former Miss California USA Nicole Johnson in 2016. The couple share four sons: Boomer (born in 2016), Beckett (born in 2017), Maverick (born in 2019) and Nico (born in 2024).