Michael Phelps turns inspiration for two young students who return to his foundation to work towards a good cause

Michael Phelps recently inspired two young girls through his foundation, as they returned after seven years to help the organization with water safety. The swimmer established the 'Michael Phelps Foundation' in 2008.

The Foundation aims to increase swimming opportunities for children as well as raise awareness about water safety. Along with this, they also focus on mental health among the children by teaching them how to swim and boost their self-esteem.

On February 7, the official Instagram handle of the foundation shared a story of two young girls, who learned about water safety when they were just eight years old and returned seven years later after being inspired by the legendary swimmer and his good-hearted cause.

The girls helped the foundation with their water awareness initiatives. The foundation shared this adorable chronicle by sharing two pictures, where the first picture showcased an old photo of them with Phelps, when they were eight years old, while the second one carried a picture that they recently recreated with the swimmer. The post's caption read:

"When you inspire them to be safe at age 8 and they come back 7 years later to help the cause."

Besides his charitable endeavors, Phelps has enjoyed a stellar swimming career, having earned 28 Olympic medals during his time, which includes 23 gold medals, three silver medals, and two bronze medals.

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Michael Phelps once opened up about the importance of water safety

Michael Phelps is extremely vocal about water safety through his non-profit organization, where he has started an initiative called the 'IM Safe' program. In this program, they help the kids understand basic water instruction and also provide certifications after the completion of the program. In an interview with POPSUGAR in 2019, the American swimmer once opened up about the importance of taking proper measures to ensure safety near water bodies and said:

“Nobody knows or realizes or thinks about it until they've lost a son or a daughter or somebody else has. We have to think about that more because it's something that can happen so fast. The only reason why I ever swam or I was ever in the water was for water safety," Phelps said.

Talking about the measures he has taken to protect his children from drowning, he added:

“Our pool fence is something that is so key, because we have two little boys who have zero fear in the water. They both know how to swim, but we also know how fast [drowning] can happen. We know how fast a kid can drown. When I started the [Michael Phelps Foundation] . . . in 2008, I wanted to go right back into teaching the importance of water safety because it's the second leading cause of death for children under the age of 14."

Along with Michael Phelps, his wife, Nicole Phelps, also advocates for increased awareness about water safety via her social media handle.