When Olympic champ Michael Phelps stopped by to visit us recently, we had to ask: How did he do it? Turns out, in addition to having a perfect swimmer's build and a great coach, he got a lot of help from -- surprise! -- his mom. (Read our in-depth interview with her here.) Have you been wondering about how to help your own kid excel? Read on. Phelps reveals how he got started and how he stayed the course to become the winning-est Olympic swimmer, ever.

LIFE AFTER EIGHT GOLD MEDALS    

What's life like for you these days?
I don't even know what my life's like now. It's a blur. I've been on the road non-stop.

So there's no typical day?
No. If I have a day off, I'll sleep until two in the afternoon, just to catch up on sleep. I've worked out 4 times since Beijing. I'm a little out of shape.

Are you still eating the same way we all heard about?
No, God no.

HOW HE GOT STARTED

So why did you start swimming?
I grew up around the pool with my sisters. Both of my sisters swam. I was always there. So I thought, why not? My mom put us in the water for water safety, so we were comfortable in the water in case anything ever happened. I learned that way, and started liking it more and more.

When you were learning, were you afraid of the water?
I started on my back because I wouldn't put my face in. I really wasn't too keen on it.

So you weren't like "I love swimming."
The only reason I started swimming was for water safety. Then, once I started falling in love with sports, I got more comfortable with it.

I read in an interview that your mom put you in sports because you had too much energy.
Well, I was playing other sports and she was pretty much just like, "How do I wear him down?" So I was playing baseball, lacrosse, soccer and swimming all at once. When I got home I'd be beat.

Did it help you in other ways, like with your ADHD?
It helped me relax. I felt comfortable in the water. I was in my own world, focused. I love sports and I'm a very goal-oriented person. Once I started falling in love with sports, it was easy. I was able to put my mind on something and go for it. That's how I am with everything, it doesn't matter what it is that I do. If I want to do something, nothing will stand in my way.

Why did you stick with swimming and not baseball, lacrosse or soccer?
At the age of 11 my coach told me I could make the Olympic team in four years, so I said "Okay, I want to make the Olympic team, so that's what we're going to do." And I started training for that. I went five straight years without ever missing a workout. Every single day, 365 days a year.

ON HANDLING TOUGH TIMES

Have you ever felt like quitting?
Oh, oftentimes.

What kept you in it?
Well my mom would ask me "Are you sure that's the best decision?" And I'd think, think, think. And I'd realize that actually it wasn't the best decision. At a very young age, I wrote down the goals that I had so I could always see what I wanted to accomplish. And I would look at that goal sheet and think "I still want to do this." So I'd decide "I'm not quitting. "

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