When he was a child, Michael Phelps spent a lot of time poolside, next to the lifeguard station - not because he was interested in swimming, but because he was so disruptive. An elementary school student told his mom that his Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder would prevent him from ever focusing on anything.

"His mom disagreed. She had seen him at swim meets. 'He might be rocking on the kickboard as he's waiting to swim,' she told the teacher, 'but he knows what he wants to do.'"

Phelps' ability to focus during competition seems contradictory for someone who took Ritalin as a child, but his passion to win gives him all the focus he needs. At the upcoming Olympics, Phelps will compete in eight events, and is aiming to beat Mark Spitz's record of seven gold medals. Source: USA Today

Labels: focus, benefits, role_models

Posted By: Aspen Education Group