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And now, from the University of Chicago Institute of Politics and CNN Audio, the Axe Files, with your host David Axelrod.

Michael Phelps is an immortal Olympian, but motivated by his own battles with depression, Phelps has become a champion for mental health awareness,

something particularly meaningful to me as I lost my own dad to suicide.

As so many people are struggling with depression today in the midst of these troubling times, I'm reaching into the best of Axe Files vault for my 2018 sit-down with Michael.

Here is that inspiring conversation.

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Michael Phelps, great to be with you again. You know, you have two stories that are sort of separate but very much related, both admirable, both also filled with challenge. I want to kind of explore both of them.

You know, as I've said when we got together before, people think of you as the guy in the weedies box, but life is more complicated than that.

Tell me about growing up in Maryland and what your life was like as a kid.

Well, yeah, growing up in Maryland, my mom put myself and my sisters all in the water, strictly just for water safety.

That was the only reason why we ever started in the pool and we grew up around the summer pool.

So we were always playing and splashing around and my mom just wanted us to be safe whenever we were around the pool.

So Rogers, Ford, we grew up in Rogers, Ford's Maryland.

Well, what was Rogers, Rogers, Ford's like?

I mean, Rogers Ford's is like a small little town home community.

Like an industrial town, right?

Yeah, yeah. I mean, for me, I grew up walking to school, I grew up down the street from all my friends.

And I guess, you know, once we started getting into the sport of swimming, that was, you know, for me, that was kind of my exciting point because as a kid growing up,

I was made fun of a ton, whether it was for big years, bouncing off the wall, never been able to sit still, all this stuff.

And swimming for me was kind of a place where I could channel my energy and I ended up being good at it.

I have to tell you, I have to tell you that I've heard you tell this story about being a hyperactive kid.

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