Michael Phelps and his wife Nicole extend their heartfelt wishes to Allison Schmitt as the swimmer announces her engagement

Michael Phelps and his wife, Nicole, recently extended their heartfelt wishes to Allison Schmitt for her engagement to longtime boyfriend Gavin Walker. The two swimmers have shared a close bond since they began training together nearly two decades ago and speak of each other fondly.

Both Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt led incredible careers in the pool. The former is the most decorated Olympian of all time, having won 28 medals at the Games, 23 of which were gold. Meanwhile, Schmitt’s time as a swimmer saw her win 10 Olympic medals, including four golds. The American also claimed three short-course World Championships and one long-course World Championship title.

Not long ago, Allison Schmitt got engaged to boyfriend Gavin Walker. The Phelps family was a big part of the proposal, as Michael and Nicole's four children—Boomer, Beckett, Maverick, and Nico—donned t-shirts with the words ‘Will you marry me’ written individually. Schmitt said yes, and reacting to the announcement of her engagement, Michael Phelps posted an Instagram story congratulating the couple.

Via Phelps' Instagram story

Meanwhile, Nicole Phelps commented on Schmitt’s original post, writing,

“I'm not crying everytime I see this. I cannot wait to attend your special day @arschmitty & @gavinwalker101 - you're gonna get sick of me.”

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Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt on their close bond

Phelps and Allison Schmitt on their relationship with each other (Image Source: Getty)

Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt have shared a close bond since 2005, when the duo began training together. In a 2015 interview with USAnSwimming, Phelps referred to Schmitt as his little sister, saying,

“I think Allison’s and my relationship over the years has been amazing. I wouldn't be here where I am today without having her every day. I try to help her as much as I can through anything that she's going through. Allison is like my little sister and I love her to death and we both know we are in this together.”

Most recently, Allison Schmitt traveled with Michael Phelps and his family to the Paris Olympics. While there, the 34-year-old revealed that a majority of her responsibilities were babysitting duties, telling People Magazine,

"I guess I'm mostly here helping out Nicole and Michael with Nico. I’m so happy I get my baby snuggles (from Nico). I'm 'TT' to them (the children). It's just been so fun to watch them grow up. Like I said, their oldest Boomer is eight years old, and I'm like, 'How are you eight?'”

Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt competed in five and four Olympics, respectively, and were teammates during the 2008 Beijing Games, 2012 London Games, and 2016 Rio Games. Phelps retired after the Rio Olympics, while Schmitt called time on her career after the 2020 Tokyo Games.