Beneath the Surface(179-228)

Summary

Phelps was now on his way to the 2004 Olympic Trials.  He had trained so hard, and there were a lot of people that expected a lot from him, or hoped he would fail.  For a rookie with this big stuff, he did great.  After the Trials he went to a press conference, he was the first person ever to qualify for a U.S Olympic team in any sport in six individual events, although he was beaten twice and only did his best time in one race.

Now Michael and his coach had set the bars very high for the Olympics in Athens.  They went straight to the pool and began working all the small things, like starts and turns.  When he arrived in Athens, Phelps and his family were attacked by interviewers and producers.  But he had to stay focused on swimming, his first race was a relay which he finished in 3rd, and he wasn't happy with that at all.  His next race was the 200 free and he was racing two of his idols, and he came in third with his best time, he was pleased.  His next 6 races were all his, leaving Athens with 2 bronze medals and 6 gold medals!!  He had become only the second athlete in history to win eight total medals.

Quote

"Anything is possible, I said, I don't think you should ever talk about things you can't do"(Phelps 180).

Reaction

My reaction to when I read this was, Phelps always knew he capable of doing what he did.  Although he had a lot of bumps in the road, he didn't let that stop him, he kept going.  This just makes me want to try harder in everything I do, what ever I put my mind to I know I can do it.

Beneath the Surface(139-179)

Summary:

Phelps next focus was the World Championships in Barcelona. Michael proposed to his mom that if he broke a world record at the meet she would get him a dog. In Barcelona he ends up breaking five world records, and at the end of his last race he looked up at his sister and she had a poster up saying "5 dogs" ?
When they came back from Barcelona of course there would be interviewers. That was a pain in the neck for Michael and his coach, so bad so the point where his coach would yell at everyone and tell them to "GET OUT OF HERE, NO MORE INTERVIEWING"! With seven world records in 41 days contracts with Speedo were being offered, and Phelps and his people wouldn't reject. But something that was happening to Phelps when he would travel is he would always lose is training equipment. Michael was increasing his profile, so he used that especially for the kids. He was the national spokesman for the Boys and Girls Club. He goes around and talks to younger kids and even teenagers with hard lives, and he tells them what he has been through and how swimming has helped him.
Phelps would later be backed to training, and figuring out his tight schedule with Trials and Olympics. Interviews, conferences and all that extra stuff was tough for Michael, because he really wanted to train. The person who helped him the most was his coach, he helped him get through this and molded him into the swimmer and man that he is today.

Quote:

"Bob thought I was loafing through an afternoon practice and told me. "If your only going to do this much, you might as well get out." I got out of the pool and said, "Okay I will then." Bob said, "Merry Christmas," and I was out of there."

Reaction:

When I read this all I could think of the times this has happened between my coach and I. If he feels I am slacking off, he will tell me leave so we both don't waste our time. But I know when he does that he is testing me, there has been times where I just left because I was just so tired and my body couldn't take it anymore. But when it is all over I do regret, I feel bad and I will come with the best attitude the next practice.

Beneath the Surface (45-97)

Summary:

In the next couple of chapters Phelps explains his up and downs with his swim coach.  Although they had their bumps in the road Michael knew he was going to be with Bob for a long time.  As Michael went to more difficult swim meets and competing at young age, and still being ranked as one of the fastest swimmers in the country, he thought maybe he is going to go somewhere with this.  Bob, Phelps coach knew he was going to make the Olympic team in 2000, and he was only 15 !  They were training nonstop.  All that training paid off when Michael broke the world record for the 200 butterfly at the age of 15.  He felt " On top of the world."  Although it was a great accomplish, when he got back home it was right back to training.

Quote:

"Squinting through my goggles to make sure I saw the numbers right. Then I went spazo" (Phelps 88).

Reaction:

This has happened to me so many times, getting first place and seeing a time on the wall and thinking you saw wrong, but when you really look you have done your best time ever.  Although my experiences aren't as great as Phelps, the feeling is still great.  Reading this book, I realized I react the same way that Michael does to many things.  He is my idol for swimming, and I love reading this book

Beneath the Surface by Michael Phelphs (pg 1-45)

Summary:
In the expostion, Phelphs immediatly begins the story with action, describing his first Olympic race in Athens. He describes the feelings he was going through before, during, and after the race. Then in chapter two Phelphs goes back to when he was born and introduces his family. Michael is from Whiteford, Maryland and didnt live a very happy childhood. Phelps grew up without a father, and was made fun and bullied by other kids in school. In the sixth grade he was diagnosed with ADHD. Although he didn't have the best behavior at swim practice, it was his getaway. Then at a swim meet at the age of 11 he met Bob Bowman, who would soon become his coach, and is still currently. Chapters 1-6 are not in chronological order, for example, the story begins at a swim meet, then rewinds back to when he was a child. It jumps from place to place.


Quote:
"Mom, look. Here it is" (Phelps 9).

Reaction:
When I read this, i got so many flashbacks to me at my swim meets, although they are not as big as the Olympics. Every time I got a trophy or my medals, the first person i would go to is my mother and hand them to her. It is a great feeling, feels like you are on the top of the world.
So far I love this book, I can relate to alot of things that are explained in the story, which helps me understand it alot better than someone who is not a swimmer.