Twenty-three-year-old Michael Phelps has become a phenomenon (神话) in swimming.
At the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, he won eight gold medals and broke 7 world records. Nine days, 17 games, morning and night he competed and won.
Michael Phelps started to swim at the age of 5. Guess which stroke (动作) he first tried? The backstroke. It’s because he didn’t want to put his face in the water.
By the age of 7, he had taken part in a lot of swimming competitions. At 11, he met Bob Bowman who saw the kid’s great talent.
How did Phelps become so good? He was born with the body of a swimmer. He stands 1.87meters high and has a wide wingspan (臂展). He knows how to use his body to full advantage. His hands and feet are like paddles (踏板) in the water and he has a strong kick.
But that’s not all；he also has the heart and will to win. He thinks that anything is possible as long as you put your mind to it. Every day he spends five hours in the water, swimming about 11 kilometers. This is a young man who knows what he wants.
