Michael Phelps is regarded as one of the greatest Olympic athletes of all time. Since sports have a huge following in American culture, an autobiography of one of the greatest athletes in American history is worth critical analysis. Michael Phelpss autobiography, No Limits serves to discuss his journey from the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing as well as sacrifices he made in his childhood to become the one of the most decorated athletes of all time. .
No Limits gives a background and description of each of his eight gold medal performances in Beijing and the stories leading up to those moments. Phelps and coauthor Alan Abrahamson offer detailed in-depth illustrations of the obstacles hes overcome as well as the successes that shaped his performances in Beijing. Phelps's autobiography starts off with his first gold medal and world record performance, the 400 Individual Medley, and all of the preparation that went into it as well as his childhood. Michael Phelps was born in Baltimore, Maryland, started swimming at age seven and actually hated the water. A few years later he was diagnosed with ADHD. Fast forwarding to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Phelps discusses the first Olympic Gold Medal he won and the feeling of being on the first place podium having the United States national anthem playing. A few months before the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, Phelps started to have dreams involving the number 3:07. After three weeks of dissecting what the number could mean, Phelps and his Bob Bowman settled on the number pertaining to the 75% mark in his race, which in turn could result in Phelps smashing the world record with a final time of four minutes and three seconds. Come the Olympic games in August, Phelps did just that, winning the event in a time of four minutes and three seconds, setting a new world record. The next chapter is a great example of perseverance and defying the odds.