Michael Phelps is the most decorated Olympian in history, having won 22 medals in swimming, 18 of them gold. Yet while Phelps was a superstar garnering worldwide attention, he was failing at life. He recently admitted that he had hit rock bottom, especially when he was arrested for DUI in September of 2014. Phelps was using illegal substances, and he stated that he was seriously contemplating suicide.
Thankfully, God used a friend to intervene in Phelps’s life. Former NFL player Ray Lewis, not without controversy himself, encouraged him to enter rehab and gave him a copy of Pastor Rick Warren’s bestselling book, “The Purpose Driven Life.” Reading the book was a turning point for Phelps. He stated that he now believes there is a power greater than himself and that there is a purpose for his life.
Famous people have tremendous influence in our culture, especially with the youth. Phelps inspired, and still inspires, aspiring young athletes to pursue their dreams. Yet athletic talent means nothing if it is not backed up by a moral life. Phelps’s legacy had the potential to be tarnished, but to his credit he took the steps to turn his life around and accepted God’s forgiveness and grace to live a better life.
As the world tunes into the Olympics, we can receive inspiration from the amazing athletic talents on display; but we can be even more inspired by the many athletes who lead upright moral lives and who try to set an example by pursuing virtue.
