Baltimore, Maryland, United States Michael Fred Phelps II (born June 30, 1985) is a former competitive swimmer from the United States. With 28 medals, he is the most successful and decorated Olympian of all time. He is also the only man to have won gold medals in both swimming events at the same Olympics. Phelps's achievements have made him one of the most recognized athletes in the world. He has been named the greatest athlete of all time by Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and The New York Times among others. He began swimming at a young age and soon became involved in several local teams. By the age of 11, he was training with the Baltimore Stars Swim Team, where he met his future coach, Bob Bowman. During his high school years, he helped lead Columbia High School to three consecutive State Championships. In addition to swimming, he played football and baseball. After graduating from high school, Phelps attended North Carolina State University, where he swam for the NC State Wolfpack team. At NC State, he became the first person to win five individual Olympic gold medals. He left after two seasons to pursue a career as a professional swimmer. In 2008, Phelps returned to college to complete his degree in sports management. Since then, he has won more than 20 additional national championships.