|
Michael Phelps is set to become sport's first billion dollar man but the American sensation insists he does not create storm in the pool just to fill his boots with moolah.
For someone who took to swim partly to overcome the Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) that plagued his early youth, Phelps has made an estimated USD five million in endorsement and awaits a one million dollar bonus from Speedo fort winning his seventh gold today.
Moments after he equalled Mark Spitz with a wafer-thin victory in the 100m Butterfly, the 'Baltimore Bullet' said the lure of moolah was not the driving force behind his feat.
"I'm not doing it for money," Phelps clarified.
"I'm doing it because I love what I do. It is something I have dreamed of since I started swimming to win a gold medal. (Fortunately), I have been able to surpass my goals," he said.
"If (coach) Bob Bowman and I were in it for the money, I think we'd be in different sport. I'm definitely not doing it for money. I enjoy it and I could not ask for anything more," Phelps added.
Instead, Phelps says, he dreams of something bigger, like changing the face of swimming.
"I've said it before and I'll say it again. My big goal is to change the sport of swimming in a way. For the kids coming up into the sport and for the sport in America," Phelps said.
"I just got a picture from my friend from the sports centre live, they aired the race live. They had it live in the middle of a baseball match. So my goal is starting to take shapes but I have a long way to go.
"I'm sure Bob and I can think of some more goals in the future," he added.
Set to overtake Spitz's record of record seven gold in an Olympics, Phelps said when one starts dreaming, he or she should dream it big.
"No matter what you set your imagination to, anything can happen. Dream as big as you can and anything is possible.
"Some people said it (Spitz's record) would be impossible to duplicate and that it would not happen. It shows really that anything can happen," he added.
| 
