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⁠⁠Why Michael Phelps Was Unbeatable: Obsession & Winning Mindset | FO458 Raj Shamani

Jan 15, 2026

Guest

Michael Phelps

In this insightful conversation, Michael Phelps, the most-decorated Olympian in history with 23 gold medals, discusses his journey from a restless child with ADHD to an unstoppable swimmer. He details how swimming became his emotional outlet and his intense obsession with winning. Phelps reveals the rigorous training routines that shaped his success, his mental preparation techniques including visualization, and the importance of resilience in the face of challenges. Now, he passionately advocates for mental health awareness, sharing lessons learned from his storied career.

02:11:59

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insights

INSIGHT

Winning Is Binary

Michael Phelps defines second place as losing and treats gold as the only acceptable outcome.
This belief reframed every competition into a binary mission: prepare to win or accept failure.

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ANECDOTE

Pool As A Childhood Escape

As a child with ADHD, Michael found the pool was the only place he could focus and release energy.
Swimming became his outlet and ultimately turned his restlessness into a performance superpower.

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ANECDOTE

Kicked Out Until Perfect

Bob Bowman kicked a young Michael out repeatedly until he mastered a six-beat kick, forcing technical discipline.
That punishment made the technique permanent for Phelps's entire career.

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Who Michael Phelps Is Today

04:49 • 3min

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Childhood, ADHD and Early Restlessness

07:26 • 4min

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Teacher Doubt as Motivation

11:17 • 4min

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Water as Emotional Outlet

15:02 • 5min

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Lion Breath and Releasing Emotions

19:39 • 3min

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The Obsession to Win, Not Settle

22:39 • 3min

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Meeting Coach Bob and Early Selection

25:15 • 6min

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Rebuilding Stroke and Technical Discipline

31:38 • 2min

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Daily Routines and Unwavering Preparation

33:51 • 5min

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Making the Olympic Team vs Winning Gold

38:25 • 4min

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Lessons from First Olympics and Missing Medal

42:46 • 5min

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The Six-Year Training Stretch

48:01 • 5min

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Coach's Psychotic Tests to Build Resilience

52:40 • 3min

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Visualization and 'What If' Scenarios

55:34 • 3min

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Training Conflict and Fierce Coach Relationship

58:25 • 5min

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Race-Day Warmup Rituals and Consistency

01:03:50 • 4min

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Controlling Controllables and Preparation Mindset

01:08:15 • 2min

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Handling Goggles Failures and Stroke Counting

01:09:48 • 5min

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The Alien Phase: Feeling Unbeatable

01:14:50 • 4min

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Managing 17–18 Races: Competition as Training Week

01:18:57 • 4min

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Goal Sheets and Splits Precision

01:22:40 • 3min

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Competing Against the Clock, Not People

01:25:22 • 4min

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Removing 'Can't' From Vocabulary

01:29:26 • 2min

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Remembering Losses More Than Wins

01:31:01 • 3min

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First Olympic Gold: Focus on Recovery

01:34:06 • 7min

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After Eight Golds: Need for Space

01:40:50 • 3min

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Struggles, Injury and 2012 Discontent

01:43:33 • 5min

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2016 Comeback: Focus and Reactions

01:48:20 • 2min

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Instinctive Finishes and Practiced Touches

01:50:17 • 3min

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What Happens On The Block and Pre-Race Mindset

01:53:00 • 1min

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Music, Playlist and Pre-Race Pump

01:54:16 • 1min

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Three Principles: The Phelps Protocol

01:55:44 • 6min

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Purpose Now: Mental Health Mission

• Mentioned in 203 episodes

The Power of Now

A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

Eckhart Tolle

In 'The Power of Now', Eckhart Tolle discusses the importance of living in the present moment to achieve spiritual enlightenment. The book draws from various spiritual traditions, including Buddhism and mysticism, to explain how people's emotional problems are rooted in their identification with their minds. Tolle argues that the present moment is the only truly real time and that past and future are mere mental constructs. He provides methods for relaxation and meditation to help readers anchor themselves in the present, such as avoiding multitasking, spending time in nature, and letting go of worries about the future. The book also introduces concepts like the 'pain-body' and the distinction between one's thoughts and true self, emphasizing the need to recognize and separate from the destructive influence of the mind.

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(00:00) - Intro
(04:48) - Who Is Michael Phelps?
(07:26) - Childhood & Living with ADHD
(15:01) - Water as His Coping Mechanism
(22:31) - Hating to Lose & an Obsession with Winning: Second Place Means You Lost
(25:14) - Coaching & Preparation
(34:10) - Ambition & the Olympics
(42:45) - Finishing Fifth, Then Breaking Records
(49:13) - Training Every Day
(57:36) - The Most Psychotic Thing His Coach Did
(1:03:50) - Visualization Techniques
(1:13:34) - Putting the Most Pressure on Myself
(1:14:19) - The Alien Phase
(1:22:38) - The Goal Sheet
(1:25:21) - Competing Against the Clock & Learning from Competitors
(1:30:17) - Remembering Losses More Than Wins
(1:34:05) - Winning His First Olympic Gold Medal
(1:40:50) - Winning 8 Gold Medals at Once
(1:42:26) - Not Coming First Feels Like Losing: Not Wanting to Swim Anymore
(1:53:05) - Thoughts Before a Race
(1:55:40) - The Phelps Protocol
(2:01:26) - Future Plans & Mental Health
(2:07:27) - Closing Thoughts
(2:10:34) - BTS
(2:11:09) - Outro

In today’s episode, we have Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympic athlete of all time, to break down what it really takes to become the greatest, and what it costs behind the scenes.Michael also reveals how he visualised wins before they happened, what he focused on mentally right before diving into the pool, his pre-race playlist, and why preparation is non-negotiable because “somebody else is already trying to beat you.”

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Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/m_phelps00

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Raj Shamani is an Entrepreneur at heart that explains his expertise in Business Content Creation & Public Speaking. He has delivered 200+ speeches in 26+ countries. Besides that, Raj is also an Angel Investor interested in crazy minds who are creating a sensation in the Fintech, FMCG, & passion economy space.

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Figuring Out Podcast is a Candid Conversations University where Raj Shamani brings raw conversations with the Top 1% in India.

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