I was a young boy back in 2006 at the end of the four-day University of Michigan Swim Camp, where they promised us we would meet six-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps. There were probably other super fast swimmers that I met as well, but only Phelps stuck in my memory.

Behind me in this picture below with a much younger Phelps and a much younger me at the aquatic center was a countdown clock to the start of the Beijing 2008 Summer Games. There were rumors that Phelps was on a quest to break the gold medal record for one Summer Games, a record that had been there since 1972, Mark Spitz's seven Olympic Gold medals. But it was near impossible, the perfection of going 8/8 is dependent on three relays and five individual events going to perfection.

Two years later, perfection was reached. In 2008, Phelps went 8/8 gold including seven World Records and eight Olympic Records. He won events by over two seconds, had Jason Lezak (UCSB Alumni) provide the fastest relay split in history and won by the smallest margin in swimming, 0.01. He became the most decorated man in Olympic history with 14 golds and two bronze medals.

However, the man behind the goggles was famous in the swimming community for distancing himself from the spotlight and having numerous temper tantrums with his longtime coach, Bob Bowman. The man may have been perfect in the pool, but he was far from representing the character of a leader in the sport. However, swimming had risen in popularity thanks to the success of Phelps. According to SwimSwam, the number of high school boys swimming and diving participants rose by over 16 percent after the 2008 run, as well as a 7.5 percent increase in girls participants. But the leader himself was struggling on the inside, caught two times for DUI arrests and an unflattering bong smoking photo over his career.

After his second DUI arrest, he reflected back on the aftermath of the event to Sports Illustrated:

"I was in a really dark place...I didn't want to be alive anymore. It's probably the most afraid I was in my entire life."

Once Phelps started in rehab, his life truly changed. A long-estranged father-son relationship began to mend, and he finally cracked open his shell. Instead of being the swimmer Michael Phelps, he became the man Michael Phelps. He finally was able to open up to the woman who became his fiancé and mother to his child. He had a new purpose to his swim training and began to finally re-fall in love with the sport that had now brought him 18 Olympic Gold medals and 22 total Olympic medals.

"I'm back to being the little kid who said anything is possible."

Now, 10 years later, that day in a dark pool in Michigan still sticks with me. Not just because I met the greatest Olympian of all time, but it's because I met a different person that day than the man we see now. He is a five-time Olympian and only now in Rio does he bear the flag on the Opening Ceremony and is the Team USA Men's Captain. He's grown to be more mature, high-fiving and signing autographs with fans with sincerity.

It was hard to embrace Phelps for years as the ambassador of the sport when it seemed success brought trouble right after it. But now, he shows the best in the sport I still call my own.

I am grateful to be that little boy watching the 31-year-old man be great one last time before swimming into the sunset.