ANYTHING ELSE.
>> SUPER HUMAN, BUT ALSO JUST
HUMAN.
MICHAEL PHELPS JOINS US NOW
EXCLUSIVELY.
MICHAEL, GOOD MORNING.
WE’RE SO GLAD TO SEE YOU.
>> GOOD MORNING.
>> YOU KNOW, WE LOVE TO TELL
THOSE OLYMPIC STORIES.
WE LOVE TO TELL THE STORIES OF
HOW SOMEONE RISES UP AND HAS A
SPOTLIGHT.
BUT THIS IS AN OLYMPIC STORY YOU
ARE TELLING IN THIS DOCUMENTARY.
WHY DID YOU WANT TO?
>> BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY OF
US OUT THERE THAT REALLY ARE
STRUGGLING.
YOU KNOW, I THINK IT TOOK FIVE
OLYMPICS FOR ME TO REALLY SEE
IT.
I THINK ME BEING IN THE MENTAL
STATE I WAS GOING INTO 2016
ALLOWED ME THAT OPPORTUNITY TO I
GUESS BE OPEN TO HAVE THE
INTERACTIONS THAT I HAD WITH THE
OTHER ATHLETES.
AND THAT LED ME TO BELIEVE THAT
THERE ARE OTHERS THAT ARE
STRUGGLING AND STRUGGLING VERY,
VERY HARD.
AND IT WAS WILD TO SEE THAT I
WASN’T ALONE, BUT IT ALSO MADE
ME FEEL GOOD BECAUSE THERE WERE
OTHER PEOPLE THAT COULD HELP ME
UNDERSTAND IT’S OKAY TO NOT BE
OKAY.
>> YOU KNOW, THE DOCUMENTARY IS
CALLED "THE WEIGHT OF GOLD."
AND OF COURSE IT’S LITERALLY
HEAVY.
BUT THE DOCUMENTARY IS HEAVY.
THE STORIES THAT YOU TELL ARE
HEAVY.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THIS DYNAMIC WHY
OLYMPIC ATHLETES IN PARTICULAR
ARE SO SUSCEPTIBLE TO THESE
MENTAL HEALTH STRUGGLES?
>> I THINK IT’S JUST THE JOURNEY
THAT WE KIND OF GO ON.
YOU KNOW, I THINK AS KIDS
GROWING UP WE SEE THIS THING OF
BEING AN OLYMPIAN AND WINNING
OLYMPIC GOLD MEDAL AND WE DON’T
SEE THE SORT OF BUMPS THAT YOU,
I GUESS, GO THROUGH OR COULD
HAVE AS AN OLYMPIAN.
YOU KNOW, I’LL SAY OVER THE LAST
FIVE YEARS, I’VE REALLY BEEN
ABLE TO OPEN UP AND SHARE MY
EXPERIENCES.
I’M SO THANKFUL THAT WE WERE
ABLE TO HAVE ALMOST HALF A DOZEN
OR MORE ATHLETES STAND UP NEXT
TO US AND TALK ABOUT THE SAME
STRUGGLES.
IT’S SO MOVING.
IT SHOWS THAT WE CAN WORK
TOGETHER TO MAKE CHANGE.
>> YOU DO HAVE SOME ELITE
ATHLETES, HOUSEHOLD NAMES.
LOLO JONES, SASHA COHEN, BODE
MILLER.
WAS IT HARD FOR YOU TO GET THEM
TO TALK ABOUT THIS IN SUCH A
CANDID WAY?
>> I MEAN, I THINK IT -- AS YOU
HEARD IN THE FILM, IT’S
DIFFICULT TO SHOW VULNERABILITY.
ESPECIALLY AS AN ATHLETE.
WE CAN’T SHOW THAT WEAKNESS.
AND, YOU KNOW, I 100% HAVE TO
SAY THANK YOU TO ALL THE
ATHLETES WHO HAVE STOOD UP AND
WHO FEEL SAFE SHARING THEIR
STORY.
YOU KNOW, I CAN SPEAK FOR
MYSELF.
I KNOW OPENING UP AND TALKING
ABOUT THE STRUGGLES THAT I’VE
HAD HAS ONLY HELPED ME GROW EVEN
MORE.
SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN SEE NOT ONLY
OTHER ATHLETES, BUT OTHER HUMAN
BEINGS OUT THERE STEPPING UP AND
SUPPORTING IT.
EVERYBODY ELSE IS GOING THROUGH
SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
>> THIS FILM WILL BREAK YOUR
HEART.
A LOT OF THE ATHLETES SAID THAT
THEY CONSIDERED SUICIDE.
YOU HAVE SAID YOU GOT TO A PLACE
WHERE YOU YOURSELF HAVE
COMMITTED -- EXCUSE ME.
CONSIDERED SUICIDE.
AND THERE WERE ATHLETES THAT
WERE SUCCESSFUL THAT YOU FEATURE
IN THE DOCUMENTARY.
THIS IS REALLY SERIOUS.
>> IT IS.
AND YOU’LL SEE IN THE
DOCUMENTARY, IT’S VERY RAW.
AND IT PROBABLY WILL HELP YOU
SHED A TEAR.
THESE ARE WHAT WE LIVED WITH.
AND THERE ARE OTHER PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT ARE GOING THROUGH
THERE THAT ARE GOING THROUGH
THIS AS WELL.
AS YOU SAID, A HANDFUL OF OTHERS
HAVE LOST THEIR LIFE AND THIS IS
SOMETHING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO
TRY AND CHANGE.
I WOULD LIKE TO TRY AND SAVE AS
MANY OLYMPIANS AS POSSIBLE.
BECAUSE --
>> AND THIS CONVERSATION MAY BE
DOING THAT.
I THINK ABOUT WHAT I LEARNED IN
THE DOCUMENTARY ABOUT FOCUSING
ON THE OLYMPICS AND EVERYTHING
BUILDING UP TO THAT MOMENT.
AND I THINK ABOUT THOSE ATHLETES
THAT WERE WAITING FOR TOKYO AND
THE CRUSHING DISAPPOINTMENT THEY
MUST FEEL.
ARE YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THAT?
>> YEAH.
I MEAN, AS I SPOKE EARLIER IN
THE YEAR, THERE’S UNCERTAINTY.
I THINK THAT’S THE SCARY PART.
YOU PREP FOUR YEARS FOR IT AND
ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU KIND OF SIT
THERE AND START TWIDDLING YOUR
THUMBS.
TAKING CARE OF WHAT THEY CAN
CONTROL AND IF THEY CAN DO THAT,
HOPEFULLY THEY SET THEMSELVES UP
FOR THE POTENTIAL TO HAVE A
DECENT COMPETITION NEXT YEAR.
IF IT HAPPENS.
I HOPE IT DOES FOR THE SAKE OF
ATHLETES.
AND FOR ALL OF US.
I THINK IT’S ALWAYS FOOD TO SEE
THE OLYMPICS COME AROUND AND THE
MOVEMENT IS SO AMAZING.
>> YOU REALLY HAVE STARTED AN
IMPORTANT CONVERSATION.
AND I THINK YOUR LEADERSHIP,
YOU’RE THE GREATEST OLYMPIAN OF
ALL TIME AND IF YOU SAY IT
HAPPENED TO ME, A LOT OF PEOPLE
WILL FEEL LIKE THEY CAN TALK TO.
I HAVE TO ASK YOU BEFORE WE GO,
HOW HAS QUARANTINE, HOW HAS THE
SHUTDOWN BEEN WITH YOU?
YOU HAVE A HOUSE FULL OF BOYS.
HOW’S NICOLE IS REALLY WHAT I
SHOULD ASK.
>> IT’S BEEN GOOD.
YOU KNOW, WE’VE BEEN OUTSIDE A
BUNCH PLAYING IN THE YARD GOING
SWIMMING FROM TIME TO TIME.
THE BOYS ARE KEEPING BUSY.
A LOT OF SLEEPING, A LOT OF.
THATTING.
IT’S BEEN GOOD FOR US.
WE’RE HOME BODIES.
IT’S ENJOYABLE FOR ME.
I’M ALWAYS ON THE ROAD, SO
HAVING A CHANCE TO SPEND TIME
WITH THE BOYS AND THE FAMILY HAS
BEEN A DREAM COME TRUE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I FEEL LIKE I’VE
BEEN ABLE TO GROW THROUGH THIS
PANDEMIC AND IN THIS QUARANTINE.
AND I THINK MY WIFE AND I HAVE
GROWN EVEN MORE.
WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO GO THROUGH --
OR SHE’S HELPED ME THROUGH SOME
OF MY PERSONAL STRUGGLES THAT
I’VE HAD.
YOU KNOW, I THINK WE’VE JUST
BEEN ABLE TO GROW AS A COUPLE.
IT’S BEEN SOMETHING THAT TRULY
HAS BEEN INCREDIBLE.
>> YEAH.
AND MICHAEL, I CAN SEE THAT LIKE
MY HUSBAND MICHAEL YOU LOST YOUR
RAZOR.
I LIKE THE STACHE.
ARE THE KIDS LIKING IT?
>> THANK YOU.
YEAH, THEY KIND OF JOKE ABOUT
IT.
THEY PULL ON IT FROM TIME TO
TIME.
>> YEAH.
I’M FAMILIAR.
MICHAEL PHELPS, THANK YOU SO
MUCH.
CONGRATULATIONS ON THE
DOCUMENTARY.
I KNOW YOU POURED YOUR HEART
INTO IT.
IT’S CALLED "THE WEIGHT OF GOLD"
AND IT AIRS TONIGHT ON HBO.
WE APPRECIATE IT.
>> YOU KNOW, IT WAS SUCH AN
AMAZING CONVERSATION.
AND THE FACT THAT MICHAEL PHELPS
AGAIN 28 MEDALS, HE COULD HAVE
SLIPPED INTO THE SUNSET.
HE’S DEVOTED HIS LIFE TO THIS
PARTICULAR CAUSE AND DONE MORE
GOOD THAN HE PROBABLY REALIZES.
LAST TIME HE WAS HERE HE TALKED
ABOUT AN APP CALLED TALK SPACE
WHICH I’VE USED.
IT’S ONE OF THESE SMALL THINGS
THAT HAS MADE A BIG DIFFERENCE
IN A LOT OF PEOPLE’S LIVES.
>> IT’S NOT JUST ATHLETES.
YOU LEARN WHY THIS PROBLEM IS
UNIQUE TO THE EXPERIENCES THAT
THEY HAVE HAVING POURED THEIR
WHOLE LIVES INTO ONE MOMENT AND
THEN WHAT?
EVEN IF YOU ARE SUCCESSFUL.
>> YES.
>> BUT I THINK THAT ANYBODY WILL
CONNECT WITH THE FEELING OF
STRUGGLE AND THE CALL TO ACTION
AND THE CALL TO JUST BE OPEN.
>> BY THE WAY, I WANTED TO SEE