Sona Treasa Binny

6th period ISM

October 19, 2018
Measles Vaccine Epidemic kills over 136 children in Philippines
April 27th ,2017
Summary: The article I chose was based on the struggles the Olympic swimming superstar Michael
Phelps faced as a child suffering from ADHD. Phelps openly discussed about how he felt discriminated
against as a child even at an early age by his fellow friends and even by some of his teachers who claimed
that he would never survive, or “amount to anything in this world”. Phelps was diagnosed with ADHD by
his pediatrician in the sixth grade due to his inability to focus in class and constant hyperactivity that
agitated others around him. He also furthered discussed how others treat people who suffer from ADHD
as if they have mental disorders, just because of their constantly hyperactive behavior or personality.
Most people who suffer from Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder find their biggest hindrances to be
within controlling themselves and gaining self-esteem. As for the case of Phelps, he used swimming as
they key to control his ADHD associated characteristics. He used swimming lessons to self-discipline
himself and utilized the physical aspect of the sport to control his hyperactivity or “nervous” energy that
made him “jumpy and fidgety”. Today, Michael Phelps is a 33-year-old professional Olympic swimmer,
with 23 gold medals, 39 world records, and he holds the title for the most Olympic medals won by anyone
at a single Olympic Game category.
Project Connection: I believe this article connects to the topic I chose because it mentions the struggles
the star athlete faced since he was a child during his journey into becoming who he was, and it also
describes how he learned to balance or control his anger using the passion he had for doing what he loved.
My assignment has to do with how different people are affected by ADHD and how we can diagnose
them early and learn to understand their behavior and personality to help them be well adapted into our
communities. I want to use the story of Michael Phelps in order to show others that having ADHD or
another psychological struggle is not impossible to get over, and can be controlled using various options
to help feel better in our everyday lives. My project in addition also goes in depth about how effective
ADHD medications truly are, and how they function in the body to help “stabilize” the activity levels of
the user, and it also debates on whether the medication cause is helpful or perilous. The story of Michael
Phelps inspires everyone to believe that they can overcome anything just by pushing themselves to work
harder and persevere, to be the best of themselves. It helps others understand that having a condition
should never let you become your own obstacle or allow others to criticize you for what they see, because
at the end of the day it’s about you, and who you choose to be.
Personal Response: I thought this article was very admirable and informative. It taught me more about a
mental standpoint of ADHD, not just from the people who suffers from it, but also how it affects the
people around them. It taught me more about how Michael Phelps became who he truly is and inspired
me to strive to be the best version of myself. The article also talks about the worldwide prevalence of
ADHD and how 1 in 5 newborns are diagnosed with the disorder. It also taught me and others, on how to
be more Humanitarian and be more understanding of other around me. Overall, it was a very touching
excerpt that really helped me see the struggles and turmoil others face due to their conditions, and how
they used different methods and techniques to defeat it. Some of my questions after reading the article
include how ADHD still affects the athlete’s life today, or how often he had to take his medications since
the beginning of his athletic journey. I’m still curious about learning more perspectives for others and
hearing more stories of how others battled their symptoms, and I also hope to see more people to come
forward to share their experiences without holding back for the fear of judgement.

Citation:
“Michael Phelps Opens Up About ADHD Struggles: A Teacher Told Me 'I'd Never Amount to
Anything'.” PEOPLE.com, 27 Apr. 2017, people.com/sports/michael-phelps-opens-up-about-adhd-
struggles-in-new-video-a-teacher-told-me-id-never-amount-to-anything/.