How did you use your list? Would you think about it during the day?
I would visualize the best-and worst-case scenarios. Whether I get disqualified or my goggles fill up with water or I lose my goggles or I come in last, I'm ready for anything.

How do you handle disappointments?
They probably help me more. I don't like to lose. If I fail, I ask myself, "What can I do to make sure that doesn't happen again?"

I read that last year you broke your wrist and you had to go to practice and do other things, like using a kickboard, which sounds awful. Did anything good come out of it?
It made me realize that things can change in the blink of an eye and it also made me realize that when you use your imagination anything can happen. I was very negative for the first few days after I found out my wrist was broken, and I had a lot of time to think. I realized that all the people that told me I can't do it, that this is going to make it even harder… You know what? I'm gonna do it.

What do you tell a kid that is discouraged, hasn't found that passion yet or is struggling in school?
I have had extreme ups and downs. The biggest thing I learned after I broke my wrist is to never give up. Nothing in life will ever come easy. It depends on how you deal with those obstacles and how you overcome those obstacles. If you can overcome them, you're a stronger person. If you make mistakes along the way, as long as you never make that same mistake again, you're a successful person.

ON FINDING BALANCE

When you were growing up, how did your mom help you balance swimming with school?
My mom instilled in me at a very early age how important education was and how that came first. I couldn't go play sports if we didn't get everything else done -- and I love sports. I'd go from the swimming pool to school to the swimming pool, come home and do my homework. I'm kind of a creature of habit. Once I get used to doing things, it's like second nature.

It's hard for parents to know if they should push extra-curriculars -- instruments or athletics or whatever.
My communication with my mom was always awesome. I'm a very vocal person and I speak what I feel. No matter what it was, she'd say "Are you sure you want to do this?" She'd let me make up my own mind.

So what were you like on the playground? What were you doing at recess?
I was very, very competitive.

What was in your lunchbox when you were little? Did you have like 18,000 calorie lunches?
My lunches were awful. My mom would give me peanut butter and honey sandwiches. I was like, "Mom! Where are the little tiny Twinkies? I want some Twinkies! I want some fruit snacks! Come on!" I never got them. I ended up trading with kids at lunch.

What a mean mom! I'm sure she did crazy things like driving you to practice at four in the morning, too. Do you plan to drive your kids to practice at four in the morning?
Hey, enough with the kid talk!

So, parenting is not uppermost on your mind right now?
I'm not looking to have a kid, not right now. My dog is good, but he just barks.

Michael Phelps stirred up some controversy when pictures of him smoking pot surfaced. Is 23 too old to pull the youth card? Can Phelps be knocked down from his pedestal, or should we give him a break?

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More Fallen Idols, and How to Talk to Your Kid about Tween Idol Scandals

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