TO MICHAEL PHELPS ON THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE OLYMPICS,
HOW IT IMPACTS ATHLETES WHO HAVE
TRAINED THEIR WHOLE LIFE.
FIRST, MICHAEL IN AND OUT OF THE
WATER.
WATER. >> AN OLYMPIC CHAMPION.
>> A LEGEND IN THE POOL AND NOW
A LEADER OUT OF IT.
>> MICHAEL PHELPS.
>> MICHAEL PHELPS WAS A FIXTURE
ON THE MEDAL STAND FOR THE LAST
FOUR OLYMPICS AND IS NOW
WEIGHING IN ON THE HISTORIC
DECISION TO POSTPONE THE TOKYO
GAMES BY A FULL YEAR.
THE RECORD 23-TIME OLYMPIC GOLD
MEDALIST RETIRED AFTER RIO IN
2016.
2016. >> LOOK WHO IS BACK ON TOP.
>> HE’S PRAISING THE TOKYO
POSTPONEMENT BUT M’S SOUNDING
THE ALARM IN STARK TERMS ON WHAT
THAT COULD MEAN FOR HIS PEERS ON
RECENT INTERVIEW FOR NBC SPORTS.
I REALLY, REALLY HOPE WE DON’T
SEE AN INCREASE IN ATHLETE
SUICIDE RATES BECAUSE OF THIS.
BECAUSE THE MENTAL HEALTH
COMPONENT IS BY FAR THE BIGGEST
DECISION HERE.
DECISION HERE. IT WAS THE RIGHT DECISION BUT
BREAKS MY HEART FOR ATHLETES.
PHELPS HAS BEEN AN OUTSPOKEN
ADVOCATE SINCE LEAVING THE WATER
CITING HIS OWN STRUGGLES WITH IT
SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE
YEESH.
YEESH. ADDING, IT’S NOT SOMETHING
THAT’S GOING TO GO AWAY BUT I’VE
LEARNED MY DEPRESSION DON’T HOLD
ME BACK.
ME BACK. THEY MAKE ME WHO I AM.
>> I WAS LOST.
>> HE DISCUSSED MEMORIAL HEALTH
AS INVESTOR AND PAID ENDORSER
FOR MOBILE THERAPY APP TALK
SPACE.
SPACE. >> I REALIZED I COULDN’T HANDLE
IT MYSELF.
IT MYSELF. >> AND IN AN INTERVIEW WITH US
IN 2018.
IN 2018. >> I FINALLY REALIZED I CAN ASK
FOR HELP AND IT’S OKAY NOT TO BE
OKAY.
OKAY. FOR ME, THAT’S WHAT CHANGED MY
LIFE.
LIFE. >> THAT CONCERN ABOUT THE HUMAN
TOLL IS A TIMELY ONE FOR
HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS ACROSS THE
COUNTRY NOW CONFINED IN THEIR
HOMES WITH SO MANY WORRIED ABOUT
RENT, BILLS, AND THE ANXIETY AND
UNCERTAINTY OF THE PANDEMIC.
PHELPS HOPES HIS INFLUENCE AND
ADVOCACY CAN BE FELT FAR BEYOND
THE POOL.
THE POOL. WE ARE SO VERY HAPPY TO HAVE
MICHAEL PHELPS WITH US THIS
MORNING.
MORNING. HEY, MICHAEL, HOW ARE YOU DOING?
>> GOOD.
>> GOOD. HOW ARE YOU?
>> I’M GREAT.
PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE FOR US.
THERE ARE ATHLETES WHO HAVE BEEN
TRAINING FOR YEARS FOR THE
OLYMPIC GAMES THAT WERE SET FOR
2020, THEN THEY WERE TOLD THOSE
GAMES WOULD BE POSTPONED.
FROM AN ATHLETE’S PERSPECTIVE,
TELL US WHAT THAT ATHLETE IS
GOING THROUGH.
GOING THROUGH. >> WELL, I HAVE TO FIRST
THANK-OF-MEDICAL AND EMERGENCY
RESPONDER OUT THERE.
EVERYONE WORKING THE FRONT
LINES.
LINES. THOSE ARE OUR HEROES RIGHT NOW.
THEY ARE KEEPING US, I GUESS,
SURVIVING US.
SURVIVING US. WHATEVER YOU WAN TO SAY, THEY
ARE KEEPING US ALIVE.
TO THE ATHLETES, IT’S TOUGH.
YOU GO THROUGH SOMETHING FOR
FOUR YEARS AND, YOU KNOW, WE
KIND OF KNOW EXACTLY WHEN IT’S
GOING TO COME AND OUR BODIES ARE
READY FOR IT, THEN WE HAVE TO
WAIT.
WAIT. SO IT IS CHALLENGING, BUT I
THINK THE BIGGEST THING NOW IS
EVERYBODY SHOULD LOOK AT THIS AS
AN OPPORTUNITY.
AN OPPORTUNITY. AN OPPORTUNITY ON ANOTHER YEAR
WORK ON FINE-TUNING SMALL THINGS
THAT ARE GOING TO HELP YOU MAKE
A BIG DIFFERENCE.
>> I INTERVIEWED SIMONE BILES,
SAVANNAH AND I DID, SHE SAID SHE
CRIED WHEN SHE HEARD THE NEWS.
IT’S KIND OF HARD FOR
NONATHLETES TO LOOK AT THAT AND
SAY, WOW, IT FEELS LIKE THAT.
IT’S MORE THAN JUST A
COMPETITION.
COMPETITION. THIS IS SOMETHING.
>> IT’S YOUR WHOLE LIFE.
>> YEAH.
>> YEAH. >> IT’S DIFFICULT.
I’VE TRIED TO REPLAY WHAT I
WOULD BE GOING THROUGH
EMOTIONALLY AT THIS VERY TIME IF
I WAS STILL COMPETING.
IT’S HARD TO REALLY KIND OF
COMPREHEND IT.
COMPREHEND IT. SO YOU KNOW, I THINK THE BIGGEST
THING IS FOR ALL THE ATHLETES,
ESPECIALLY, TRY TO TAKE THIS AS
A POSITIVE.
A POSITIVE. LIKE I SAID, SOME OF THE SMALL
THINGS.
THINGS. BUT REALLY, REALLY, REALLY I
WANT EVERYBODY TO MAKE SURE THEY
ARE TAKING CARE OF THEIR MENTAL
HEALTH.
HEALTH. IT’S SOMETHING THAT’S EVEN MORE
IMPORTANT NOW.
IMPORTANT NOW. >> YOU SAID SOMETHING THAT WAS
JUST SO JARRING IN THE PIECE WE
DID.
DID. YOU SAID I REALLY HOPE WE DON’T
SEE AN INCREASE IN ATHLETE’S
SUICIDE BECAUSE THIS REALLY IS A
MENTAL HEALTH GAME RIGHT NOW.
>> I’LL BE THE FIRST ONE TO
ADMIT, I’M SOMEBODY WHO STILL
STRUGGLES WITH DEPRESSION AND
ANXIETY.
ANXIETY. I’VE HAD A DAY OR TWO OVER THE
LAST THREE WEEKS WHERE IT HAS
BEEN DIFFICULT.
BEEN DIFFICULT. I’M SURE THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT
THERE GOING THROUGH THE EXACT
SAME THING WILL AGAIN, IT’S
SOMETHING SO IMPORTANT TO MAKE
SURE WE’RE GETTING -- WE’RE
PAYING ATTENTION TO OUR MENTAL
HEALTH AS WE ARE PHYSICAL.
>> YOU SAID YOUR PHONE IS ALWAYS
OPEN FOR ATHLETES TO CALL YOU.
WHAT ADVICE ARE YOU GIVING FOLKS
IN THIS MOMENT?
>> I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ARE
IN A SPOT WHERE YOU NEED HELP,
TO REACH OUT AND ASK FOR HELP.
IT’S SOMETHING THAT WAS VERY
DIFFICULT FOR ME TO DO.
I CAN UNDERSTAND SOMEBODY GOING
THROUGH THAT.
THROUGH THAT. ALSO AT THE SAME TIME IT’S
SOMETHING THAT CHANGED MY LIFE.
TO BE HONEST, IT SAVED MY LIFE.
SO I AM STILL MYSELF REACHING
OUT FOR HELP.
I STILL HAVE A THERAPIST THAT I
TALK TO.
TALK TO. THEY HELP ME JUST BE ME.
>> WOW.
>> WOW. CAN I JUST ASK, YOU’RE AT HOME,
YOU AND NICOLE.
YOU’VE GOT THREE KIDS.
HOW IS THAT WHOLE SITUATION
GOING?
GOING? >> IT’S ACTUALLY PRETTY AWESOME
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. WE’VE -- I GUESS WE’RE HOME
BODIES PEOPLE IN GENERAL, SO
IT’S KIND OF NICE FOR ME BEING
ABLE TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH THE
ONES WHO I LOVE.
THEY ARE STILL ASLEEP NOW, AND
I’M LOOKING FORWARD FOR THEM
ASKING FOR PANCAKES OR FRENCH
TOAST, WHATEVER IT IS THIS
MORNING, THEN OFF TO SCHOOLWORK
WITH MOM.
WITH MOM. IT’S ANNALS MOVING HOUSE HERE.
IT’S AWESOME.
IT’S AWESOME. >> LASTLY, WHAT’S THE VERDICT ON
THE MOUSTACHE.
THE MOUSTACHE. ARE WE KEEPING IT?
>> I THINK FOR RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, WHY NOT?
I DON’T KNOW, IT’S KIND OF
FUNNY.
FUNNY. THE KIDS THINK IT’S HILARIOUS,