I have grown up watching the sport of swimming, almost my entire life. From the time I could walk, my parents were taking me to the pool to watch my older brothers compete. I loved watching them race and would scream as loud as I possibly could, with the hopes that they would hear even a little bit of what I was trying to say. I was so proud of them and would get so excited when they would touch the wall before everyone else. Years later, I would join them (but would not last as long) in the sport of swimming. I did it because all I wanted was to be like my older brothers. They inspired me to give my all every day I was in the pool and continued to encourage me after I stopped swimming. I love swimming because it is the tie that holds my family together. Today people love swimming because of the performance and drive of one man, who sent shockwaves around the world.

The Rio Olympics marked the end of an athletic career that will speak volumes for years to come. During the games, we witnessed an individual shatter records that have held for years and reach personal bests that he had never accomplished before. At age 31, he was destroying times that he would have been lucky to have at 15. Every time he would step on the block and do his signature arm slap, he would grab the attention of viewers all over the world. The world would be in awe as he raced through the crystal blue waters of the pool and would come out full body lengths ahead of his competitors. He proved in the Rio Olympics that he could do it all and be the best, while being one of the oldest ones competing. He inspires everyone from young children to adults to discover their fullest potential in sports and in life. This athlete that I have had the pleasure of watching for all five of his Olympic appearances is Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian of all time.

It wasn't the 23 gold medals that Michael won, that inspired me. It was hearing the story of his perseverance during a challenging portion of his life, that showed me that anything is possible.

Many people are not aware that during his time off between the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, Michael Phelps was arrested for driving under the influence. He also had a severe battle with depression and got to the point where he did not want to continue living anymore. The world's greatest Olympian became more like an average human, when he joined the 18% of the U.S. population dealing with mental illness. He could have easily ended his career, lost of all of his money and given up on life, but he chose otherwise. Michael was given a Christian book from his close friend Ray Lewis about finding your purpose in life. Soon after, he had a son named Boomer and got engaged to his fiancé Nicole. Michael knew that in order to rediscover his purpose, he would have to get back to the one thing that he loves more than anything else, swimming. He trained as hard as he did when he was 15 because he wanted to prove everyone wrong and prove him wrong, he did. At age 31, Michael won gold in 5 out of his 6 events in Rio. He sent a message to everyone watching that perseverance, drive and faith in yourself can help conquer any battle.

Thank you Michael for bringing my family together, for inspiring me to give life my all and for being an honor to watch for the past 16 years. I look forward to the day when I can tell my children and my grandchildren about the most decorated Olympian of all time. If my children discover the sport of swimming, I won't keep them from it, because I have seen how powerful of an impact it has had on my brothers and on people like Michael Phelps.

Humans have the power to reach incredible heights. If we believe in the ourselves and have faith in our abilities, we can do what we set our minds to. We don't need to rely on alternatives to bring pleasure into our lives. We can find our passion by pushing ourselves out of our comfort zones and continuing to do what we love every day.

Thank you Michael for inspiring our nation and the world. You are a superhero to the eyes of many. To say we will miss you, would be an understatement.