Home > Social Butterfly > Archives > 2008 > September > 24 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USMichael Phelps stops by
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Photos by Jason Getz.
It’s good to be Michael Phelps.
Since winning a history-making eight gold medals during the Beijing Games, the Olympic swimmer has been awarded a $1 million bonus from Speedo, which he used to start a charitable foundation. He’s graced the cover of “Sports Illustrated” and hosted “Saturday Night Live.”
But here’s the really good part.
Remember how Phelps said Lil’ Wayne kept him company on his iPod until the moments before a race? The hip-hop artist repaid the shout-out with a signed iPod loaded with 40 unreleased tracks.
One of them is titled “Michael Phelps.”
“It’s all about me,” Phelps said during a visit to the Warren/Holyfield Boys and Girls Club in Atlanta Wednesday afternoon. “I was pretty pumped when I got it.”
Phelps dropped by the Boys and Girls Club as part of a nationwide tour to talk to kids about setting goals and maintaining active, healthy lifestyles. At 3 p.m., sporting a new beard and dressed casually in jeans, sweater and ballcap, he unfolded his lanky frame from a black SUV with tinted windows, sent one more text message, then greeted his young fans.
“Oh my God! Oh my God!” Tatiana Avery, 9, said, waving her hand in the air like it was on fire after shaking Phelps’ huge mitt.
Inside, Phelps sat with Kailyn Jackson, 8, for a few minutes as she worked on sentence structure, and helped Horace Wyatt, 8, with his math homework.
“He’s got it under control,” Phelps said. “He doesn’t need my help.”
U.S. Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps and Yasmine Harris, 10, look over her homework.
He spoke to groups of kids in the gym and pool areas, posed for tons of pictures and held his own as teen journalist Ayana Wade fired questions at him:
Must-have gadget? Cell phone. Worst habit? Sleeping through the alarm. Biggest influence? Michael Jordan. One thing people don’t know about him? He hates pickles. “These are funny,” he said of Wade’s questions.
Ayana Wade gets the goods.
He talked for a few minutes to some grown-up journalists, too. It’s been an adjustment, getting mobbed by fans every time he’s in public, but he’s getting used to it. He was more nervous before his turn as SNL host than before his Olympic competitions. And he’d taken a hiatus from working out until jumping in the pool Tuesday to swim a couple of miles, after which he was “in a lot of pain.”
The best swimmer in Olympic historyshares some tips
Moving forward Phelps wants to promote his sport so that swimming isn’t seen as just an Olympics event. And in 10 years, he says he’ll be retired and playing golf full time. But for now, he says he’s enjoying the post-Beijing blitz and looking forward to London — and seems never to tire of talking about his triumphs in China.
“It’s one of the coolest things, representing your country, wearing the stars and stripes, hearing the national anthem play,” he said. “It’s been an amazing accomplishment, something that hasn’t really sunk in yet.”
Phelps signed some autographs before he had to go
.JPG)
-1.JPG)
Services »
Comments
By ryan
September 24, 2008 7:14 PM | Link to this
Phelps is the man. I wish I could meet him
By admirer
September 24, 2008 9:25 PM | Link to this
Heartwarming… much needed in a month of dreadful news.
By SwimGal
September 24, 2008 11:16 PM | Link to this
Does anyone else think he looks like Barack Obama in that picture that he is autographing? Weird.
By mel
September 24, 2008 11:43 PM | Link to this
SwimGal, I was about to say the same thing!!! LOL!
By Charity
September 24, 2008 11:51 PM | Link to this
Michael Phelps is AWESOME. I wish more celebrities and athletes truly embodied the character and high moral standards he has. Way to go, Michael!
By jeff
September 25, 2008 6:25 AM | Link to this
That sure is a nice kid just to the left of Phelps giving him the BIRD!!!
By Ken
September 25, 2008 6:26 AM | Link to this
I not only watched each and every race that he swam in during the Bejing Olympics…right now, he is more awesome that Obama as well! The guy is purely sensational…showing practicality by touching young kids hearts and being a terrific spokesperson for aquatics. Myself, being a former, competitive swimmer, I do admire the guy and he is doing a terrific job. You go, guy!
By daniel
September 25, 2008 6:42 AM | Link to this
Way to go AJC, that little boy just showed the real side of the ATL!!!
By JTackett
September 25, 2008 7:13 AM | Link to this
Ah yes, the youth of America (refering to young man giving the bird in the picture.).. This is the future folks, get used to it.
Notice the “quasi gang signs” being given by the other kids in the picture.
By gles
September 25, 2008 7:37 AM | Link to this
I admire him for his athletic ability and also for his being a down to earth man. A gold medalist olympian but still with a heart that is so accomodating. Keep up the good work man and please visit us here in DUBAI.
Keep up the good works!
By will
September 25, 2008 8:20 AM | Link to this
I’ll bet the little boy’s parents are so proud of him. A “thug” in the making people.
By truthfully
September 25, 2008 8:22 AM | Link to this
My son attends Warren Holyfield B&G Club. That was an AWESOME experience for all! (swimgal LOL.. I actually was scrolling down and asking myself why is he signing Obama’s pic. HA-HA!
By Rick
September 25, 2008 8:33 AM | Link to this
Michael Phelps is very much a Gentleman. Something that we all should try to strive for.
By Rick
September 25, 2008 8:35 AM | Link to this
Michael Phelps is very much a Gentleman. Something that we all should try to strive for.
By lovejones4
September 25, 2008 9:45 AM | Link to this
I think it was the writer/poet/philosopher Anais Nin who wrote “We see things not as they are but for who we are.” For all you with biases in your minds (I want to use stronger words but I won’t), those kids weren’t throwing up gang signs. I was there and would know — they were like closed-together fingers version of the peace sign. And if you look at the angle of the kid’s fingers who appears to be throwing a bird, he actually has both his fingers together and it’s just the angle of the photo when it was snapped that caught one finger higher than the other. Come on — just congratulate Michael Phelps for his appearance and the kids for their enjoyment of it. Take your hate elsewhere. Go turn on Fixed News (False News) or something. Atlanta — The City Too Busy Hating (in the AJC blogs)!
By lovejones4
September 25, 2008 9:47 AM | Link to this
I think it was the writer/poet/philosopher Anais Nin who wrote “We see things not as they are but for who we are.” For all you with biases in your minds (I want to use stronger words but I won’t), those kids weren’t throwing up gang signs. I was there and would know — they were like closed-together fingers version of the peace sign. And if you look at the angle of the kid’s fingers who appears to be throwing a bird, he actually has both his fingers together and it’s just the angle of the photo when it was snapped that caught one finger higher than the other. Come on — just congratulate Michael Phelps for his appearance and the kids for their enjoyment of it. Take your hate elsewhere. Go turn on Fixed News (False News) or something. Atlanta — The City Too Busy Hating (in the AJC blogs)!
By lovejones4
September 25, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this
I think it was the writer/poet/philosopher Anais Nin who wrote “We see things not as they are but for who we are.” For all you with biases in your minds (I want to use stronger words but I won’t), those kids weren’t throwing up gang signs. I was there and would know — they were like closed-together fingers version of the peace sign. And if you look at the angle of the kid’s fingers who appears to be throwing a bird, he actually has both his fingers together and it’s just the angle of the photo when it was snapped that caught one finger higher than the other. Come on — just congratulate Michael Phelps for his appearance and the kids for their enjoyment of it. Take your hate elsewhere. Go turn on Fixed News (False News) or something. Atlanta — The City Too Busy Hating (in the AJC blogs)!
By lovejones4
September 25, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this
I think it was the writer/poet/philosopher Anais Nin who wrote “We see things not as they are but for who we are.” For all you with biases in your minds (I want to use stronger words but I won’t), those kids weren’t throwing up gang signs. I was there and would know — they were like closed-together fingers version of the peace sign. And if you look at the angle of the kid’s fingers who appears to be throwing a bird, he actually has both his fingers together and it’s just the angle of the photo when it was snapped that caught one finger higher than the other. Come on — just congratulate Michael Phelps for his appearance and the kids for their enjoyment of it. Take your hate elsewhere. Go turn on Fixed News (False News) or something. Atlanta — The City Too Busy Hating (in the AJC blogs)!
By lovejones4
September 25, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this
I think it was the writer/poet/philosopher Anais Nin who wrote “We see things not as they are but for who we are.” For all you with biases in your minds (I want to use stronger words but I won’t), those kids weren’t throwing up gang signs. I was there and would know — they were like closed-together fingers version of the peace sign. And if you look at the angle of the kid’s fingers who appears to be throwing a bird, he actually has both his fingers together and it’s just the angle of the photo when it was snapped that caught one finger higher than the other. Come on — just congratulate Michael Phelps for his appearance and the kids for their enjoyment of it. Take your hate elsewhere. Go turn on Fixed News (False News) or something. Atlanta — The City Too Busy Hating (in the AJC blogs)!
By lovejones4
September 25, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this
I think it was the writer/poet/philosopher Anais Nin who wrote “We see things not as they are but for who we are.” For all you with biases in your minds (I want to use stronger words but I won’t), those kids weren’t throwing up gang signs. I was there and would know — they were like closed-together fingers version of the peace sign. And if you look at the angle of the kid’s fingers who appears to be throwing a bird, he actually has both his fingers together and it’s just the angle of the photo when it was snapped that caught one finger higher than the other. Come on — just congratulate Michael Phelps for his appearance and the kids for their enjoyment of it. Take your hate elsewhere. Go turn on Fixed News (False News) or something. Atlanta — The City Too Busy Hating (in the AJC blogs)!
By lovejones4
September 25, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this
I think it was the writer/poet/philosopher Anais Nin who wrote “We see things not as they are but for who we are.” For all you with biases in your minds (I want to use stronger words but I won’t), those kids weren’t throwing up gang signs. I was there and would know — they were like closed-together fingers version of the peace sign. And if you look at the angle of the kid’s fingers who appears to be throwing a bird, he actually has both his fingers together and it’s just the angle of the photo when it was snapped that caught one finger higher than the other. Come on — just congratulate Michael Phelps for his appearance and the kids for their enjoyment of it. Take your hate elsewhere. Go turn on Fixed News (False News) or something. Atlanta — The City Too Busy Hating (in the AJC blogs)!
By lovejones4
September 25, 2008 9:51 AM | Link to this
I think it was the writer/poet/philosopher Anais Nin who wrote “We see things not as they are but for who we are.” For all you with biases in your minds (I want to use stronger words but I won’t), those kids weren’t throwing up gang signs. I was there and would know — they were like closed-together fingers version of the peace sign. And if you look at the angle of the kid’s fingers who appears to be throwing a bird, he actually has both his fingers together and it’s just the angle of the photo when it was snapped that caught one finger higher than the other. Come on — just congratulate Michael Phelps for his appearance and the kids for their enjoyment of it. Take your hate elsewhere. Go turn on Fixed News (False News) or something. Atlanta — The City Too Busy Hating (in the AJC blogs)!
By Lisa
September 25, 2008 5:28 PM | Link to this
As an educator, I just can’t get enough of this guy! He goes absolutely above and beyond. My students look at him and all of his triumphs and realize they can do it. We even talk about decimals doing Phelps Math. He should really get together with some teachers and market a whole math series. Michael is above all human, and he has made mistakes. The istakes have made him what he is today. Definitely a top notch role model in a world with so few!
By krista
September 25, 2008 9:26 PM | Link to this
Well said, Lovejones4. If the faces of the little kids surrounding MP happened to be white, not one comment would’ve been made regarding “the bird” or, even more offensive and racist, “gang signs.”
Good grief…