For a man who glides so quickly and effortlessly through the water it seems perverse to think of Michael Phelps confining himself to one room for four straight days.
Such were the depths of a spiral that would threaten to cripple the comeback of a man widely regarded as one of the greatest sportsmen of all time.
His self imprisonment followed a second charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, in September 2014, that led to a six-month suspension by USA Swimming.
If swimming is one of the most individual sports there is, it turns out that behind the world’s greatest Olympian is a support network of family and friends. They were key to Phelps summoning the courage to seek help.
“I’m so thankful for the support that I have,” Phelps told CNN in an emotional interview with Coy Wire.
“Those days when I was sitting in my room, where I didn’t move for four days, I had the support team of my friends and my closest family members and everybody who was there — my house was like a revolving door.
“They were people who matter the most to me and were there because they truly care about me. I was like, ‘That was a really dumb idea, let’s figure this out.'”
Read CNN
