Michael Phelps’ goal was to change the sport of swimming, and in Rio he ended the greatest Olympic career of all time confident that he could retire with no regrets.
His impact on swimming is obvious in the Olympic swimmers he’s inspired.
Dream big.
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) August 13, 2016
2008: Singapore's Joseph Schooling met idol Michael Phelps
Last night: He beat Phelps in the 100m fly pic.twitter.com/ROswPU2E9E
But Phelps' reach extends beyond the Olympics to a much more significant societal force: kids with cell phone cameras.
1. "The Bayou Super Meet"
who cares about the olympics? this is the bayou super meet! @KinggCole @MichaelPhelps pic.twitter.com/ARDs7FztC8
— Josh Kesler (@juice_josh_) August 12, 2016
2. The "Michael Phelps in Lane 5"
3. The Dolphin
OK yes, this Vine is from 2013, but it’s not like Phelps just started inspiring children this August.
Thank you, Michael Phelps, for inspiring a generation to create hilarious videos for Internet consumption.
(h/t @HouseofHighlights/Instagram)