Eight medals, including six gold and two bronze. Michael Phelps used the Olympic Games in Athens as his breakout event. Already known in the swimming world for the summer of 2003 when he set seven world records in 41 days, Michael's record-tying medal haul made him a mainstream name. He's well on his way to his ambitious goal of "changing the sport of swimming," but despite Michael's pre-eminence in the pool, his story is not a swimming diary but a take of adversities overcome and redemption through persistence. Michael Phelps is the most accomplished U.S. swimmer since Mark Spitz. Phelps has broken numerous world records, including an astounding seven in 41 days. Michael’s success in the 2004 Summer Olympics has made him a household name. Michael hails from Baltimore. Brian Cazeneuve is a staff writer at Sports Illustrated and has been the magazine’s full-time Olympics journalist since 1995. Before joining SI, he worked as a freelance writer for Time, People, The New York Times, Washington Post, Associated Press, Reuters and NBC Sports. In 2003, he won the Jesse Abramson Prize, a national award for excellence in track and field writing.