The most decorated Olympian in world history hit “rock bottom” when photos surfaced of Michael Phelps taking a hit off a bong.
“I was like a time bomb, waiting to go off. I had no self-esteem, no self-worth. There were times (when) I didn’t want to be here. It was not good. I felt lost,” Phelps said.
Now as the 18-time gold medal winner prepares for the Rio Olympics, he tells ESPN what saved his “train wreck” of a life: Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life.
“It’s turned me into believing there is a power greater than myself,” Phelps says. “And there’s a purpose for me on this planet.”
Watch the video (begin at minute 9) to see more.