"If I can save a life, that's way better than winning a gold medal"- Michael Phelps wants to change lives through Special Olympics

The most decorated Olympian of all time, swimming icon Michael Phelps shared his views on supporting the athletes taking part in the Special Olympics and added that he wants to make a difference in people's lives through the event.

Michael Phelps won a record 28 Olympic medals (23 gold, three silver, and two bronze) in his more than decade-long swimming career, an Olympic medal record that stands still to date. His 27 world championship titles and numerous world records solidified his status as the most successful swimmer in the world. After years of dominance in the pool, the swimming luminary bid adieu to his decorated career in 2016.

Following his retirement, Phelps has indulged in various other endeavors, which included the promotion of sports and supporting athletes in establishing their names. Following his 2008 Beijing Olympics triumphs, he started the Michael Phelps Foundation in 2008 to support the sport of swimming as well as a healthier lifestyle.

Besides that, the Baltimore Bullet was also appointed as the global brand ambassador for the Special Olympics in 2011, a platform to provide sports opportunities to children and adults with varying intellectual abilities. The Special Olympics then partnered with the Phelps Foundation for a joint venture that provided athletes from 35 countries with exposure to enhance their swimming skills.

In a recent development, the 35-year-old swimmer sat for an interview with the Special Olympics along with his wife, Nicole Phelps, where he discussed his aspirations and what he aims for the future in his philanthropic pursuits. The organization posted a video from the interview on their Instagram handle on Tuesday, where Phelps said:

"I want to change a life and if I can save a life, for me, that is way better than winning a gold medal."

Michael Phelps' words of wisdom for aspiring kids

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Michael Phelps might have taken retirement from competitive swimming, but he never stopped promoting the sport and inspiring the upcoming talents that look up to him, be it supporting Leon Marchand or motivating others to keep doing better.

Along similar lines, the Maryland luminary had a heartwarming encounter with little fans during the Phoenix Open Pro-Am, where he was waiting in the TPC Scottsdale clubhouse after the play got canceled and some bunch of kids calling his name wearing his swim cap came running to him.

Phelps delivered an inspirational message for them stating (via azcentral):

"It's incredible. What I did wasn't easy, but what I did was through hard work and determination. If there's a kid that has a dream, that has something that they want to accomplish, hopefully they can learn something about how to do it based off what I did."

He also added that he found it astonishing that the kids who were not even born during any of his Olympic competitions owned his swimming caps.