Michael Phelps and His Mom

The mother of Olympic golden boy Michael Phelps recently opened up to The New York Times about her son's journey to Olympic superstardom, including his diagnosis with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder as a child.

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As early as preschool, teachers began complaining that Michael couldn't sit still or concentrate. "In kindergarten I was told by his teacher, 'Michael can't sit still, Michael can't be quiet, Michael can't focus,'" Debbie Phelps told the Times.

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Doctors diagnosed Michael with ADHD when he was 9 years old. He took medication, but two years later asked his mother if he could stop. She agreed after consulting with his doctor. Above, Michael competes in the Men's 100-meter Butterfly Semifinal of the Olympics on Aug. 15.

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Ultimately, Michael learned to manage his hyperactivity through behavioral modifications and sheer discipline, Debbie said in a separate interview with ABC News. Above, Michael celebrates winning the gold medal in the men's 100 meter butterfly final during the Athens 2004 Summer Olympic Games.

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In total, Phelps has won 16 Olympic medals, including six gold and two bronze at Athens in 2004 and eight gold in Beijing. That makes him the most successful swimmer and Olympian of all time. The above combination of photos shows him with each of his eight old medals from Beijing.

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"The person I love the most is sitting in the front row -- my mom -- for everything she's done," Phelps told reporters in Beijing on Monday. Here, Debbie Phelps congratulates her son after the 4x200-meter relay on Aug. 13.

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"Michael's mind is like a clock," Debbie told The New York Times. "He can go into the 200 butterfly knowing he needs to do the first 50 in 24.6 to break the record and can put that time in his head and make his body do 24.6 exactly." Above, the athlete swims the butterfly stroke during his team's victory in the 4x100 meters relay Aug. 17.

Wolfgang Rattay, Reuters

"I'm just taking everything step by step, enjoying the ride," Phelps told The Associated Press before leaving Beijing on Wednesday. Here, he greets his family after receiving his gold medal in the Men's 4x100 Medley Relay on Aug. 17. Source: The New York Times, AP

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