Michael Phelps celebrates gold without dad
Categories: Just for moms, Just for dads, Divorce & custody, Relatives, Single parenting
We've all seen swimmer Micheal Phelps' mother and sisters cheering him on from the stands as he makes history at the Beijing Olympics. Conspicuously missing from this family picture is his father, Fred. Not only is Fred absent in China, he hasn't even spoken to his son since the games began."He's so busy, I'm sure not even his agent can get a hold of him," Fred said. "I'm very proud of him and all he's done. This is not about me, it's about him."
Michael's parents were high school sweethearts who divorced when he was just nine years old. "It was like a storybook [marriage], but sometimes chapters go in different directions," says his mother Debbie. "We were close, but we grew apart."
Clearly Fred Phelps grew apart not just from his wife, but from his son as well. When Fred showed up at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Michael admitted that up until that point, he hadn't been in contact with his father since he graduated high school. He also revealed that his father hadn't even reached out to him after he set his first world record in 2001. "There are reasons and I really don't want to get into that," Michael said.
Whatever those reasons were, they clearly were not resolved. After the 2004 Games, father and son became estranged once more. And while Fred Phelps watches from afar, Michael Phelps gives credit for his success where credit is due. "The person I love the most is sitting in the front row - my mom - for everything she's done," Michael told reporters in Beijing.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Slipstream 8-20-2008 @ 6:35PM
Mr. T wants his gold back! (from michael Phelps)
http://navtones.com/blog.php
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Estelle 8-24-2008 @ 12:53AM
HOW SAD THAT THE PRESS FINDS IT NECESSARY TO BRING THE TROUBLES BETWEEN FATHER AND SON AT THIS TIME IN
THE YOUNG MANS LIFE. WONDERFUL THAT HE IS SUCH GREAT ATHLETE, ND WONDERFUL THAT HIS MOTHER AND SISTERS WERE THERE TO WATCH HIM TRIUMP AT THE OLYMPICS, BUT I FIND IT UPSETTING THAT THE PRESS HAD TO INJECT HIS FAMILY PROBLEMS INTO THE LIMELIGHT. AFTER ALL, HE IS A GREAT ATHELETE, AND HAS A GREAT FUTURE IN FRONT OF HIM, AND IT WAS TOTALLY UNNECESSARY TO BRING HIS FAMILY PROBLEMS INTO THE MIX.
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