Michael Fred Phelps was born in Baltimore, Maryland on June 30, 1985. Phelps grew up in the Rodgers Forge area as the youngest of three children. His father, a state policeman, was an all-around athlete, and his mother, Debbie, was a middle-school principle. He has two older sisters: Ashley, who is also an Olympic gold medalist, and Amber. Phelps attended John F. Kennedy High School in Columbia, Maryland. There he became one of the best swimmers in the country. He was recruited by many top universities, but eventually decided to swim for the University of Georgia because it was a close proximity to his home and had one of the best swimming programs in the nation. He changed his mind after getting a look at the school's academic program though, and decided that it was not for him. Phelps then moved to Fort Worth, Texas where he lived with his sister Ashley and her family. She was also an elite swimmer and also competed under the name "Micky" until she retired from competition to have kids. She now works as a television analyst for NBC Sports and Michael is currently one of their highest paid athletes. In 2004, Phelps started training full time with the goal of winning multiple medals at the Athens Olympics. He has since become one of the most successful swimmers in history, having won more than 20 individual events including five gold medals.