At the 2004 Athens Olympic Games, Michael Phelps won 6 gold medals and 2 bronze medals. At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, he won 8 gold medals. How many medals will he achieve at this year’s London Olympic Games?
Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 9 in the USA. During his childhood, his symptoms presented as many ADHD children typically do; constantly talking, always asking questions, full of energy, trouble focusing at school, unable to listen as well as pushing, shoving and being generally fidgety. Throughout his education, Michael took stimulant medication but only on school days, not on weekends or holidays.
At the age of just 15, Michael qualified for the 2000 Olympics where he was the youngest male to represent the USA in 68 years. Unfortunately he did not win a medal on this occasion. However, at the age of 19, in the 2004 Olympics he went on to achieve his first gold medal, which has been followed by many successes since.
ADHD may seem a confusing diagnosis as Michael does, and always has been, able to concentrate intently on his chosen sport of swimming. This is known as hyperfocusing, a common feature of individuals with ADHD whereby they are unable to focus on something they find boring but can focus for hours on something that they enjoy. If an individual with ADHD is able to find their passion and channel their energy in that direction, much can be achieved.
