Michael Phelps Teaches Baltimore Ravens To Swim After Players Reach Out For Help

NANTERRE, FRANCE – JULY 28: Michael Phelps, former American swimmer, acknowledges the crowd on day two of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on July 28, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

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It is hard to think of someone more qualified to give swim lessons than 23-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps.

So, when Baltimore Ravens cornerback Marlon Humphrey learned some of his teammates did not know how to swim, he posted a video to social media two weeks ago asking for Phelps’ aid. The issue came up because the Ravens recently renovated their athletic performance center, which now includes a recovery pool. But not everyone on the team was able to take advantage of the perk—as Humphrey and his teammates quickly realized.

In the video, Humphrey and his teammates Ronnie Stanley, Kyle Hamilton, and Charlie Kolar said “Mr. Phelps, we have a problem. Did you know that one in three Ravens cannot swim? We have a solution for you, sir. Come to Ravens training camp and this beautiful aquatic center and teach us how to swim.”

Phelps, who is from Baltimore, Maryland and self-identifies as “the biggest Ravens fan on the planet,” commented on Instagram “I got yall!!! Let’s do it!!”

Phelps, 40, made good on his promise. On Tuesday, August 12, Phelps visited the Ravens’ during training camp practice and took a tour of the new pool. He gave the team a post-practice motivational speech alongside Ravens legend Ray Lewis.

Then, it was time to go for a swim.

The group headed to Loyola University’s aquatic center, where they were joined by one of Phelps’ sons, Beckett, along with children from the Boys & Girls Club of Metropolitan Baltimore learning to swim. Members of the Michael Phelps Foundation were also on deck to help, including the Olympic legend’s first swim teacher, Cathy Bennett. Bennett works as a program manager for the Michael Phelps Foundation, which provides families resources to become more comfortable in the water.

“I didn’t know what I was getting into,” Phelps said. “I had no idea what their comfort level was. When I see the guys in there and some of the guys who are literally working on floating and breathing, and they’re focused on paying attention to those details, it shows their vulnerability, especially when they’re uncomfortable.”

Calling in Bennett—or as Phelps calls her, Miss Cathy—allowed Phelps to meet the players’ vulnerability, as he recalled that when he was learning to swim, he was scared to put his face in the water. But as he grew more confident in the water, he was able to take the next step from swimming on his back and put his face in the water.

“I’m hoping that everybody is brave enough to give it a try,” Miss Cathy told the players, encouraging them to go for a swim no matter their experience level. Phelps echoed this message, encouraging players to begin with “baby steps” as they began their journeys in the water.

Drowning is the leading cause of death among children ages one to four in the United States and over half of all American adults have never taken a swimming lesson, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. The organization’s data showed that drowning rates are rising too, with already at-risk groups like young children and seniors of all races and ethnicities, as well as Black people of all ages, seeing the greatest increase in deaths.

Rising drowning rates underline the importance of everyone learning the life-saving skill, no matter their age. It’s why Stanley participated in the initial Instagram video. “We want our teammates to be able to have that skill,” Stanley told TODAY during the swim lesson. “And, you know, maybe it’ll save someone’s life one day.”

“I’m the type of swimmer that if I have to swim less than 20 yards, I could survive somehow because I could doggy paddle,” linebacker Roquan Smith said in the team’s press release about the event. “But as far as actually swimming and knowing how to breathe and things of that nature, honestly, it was my first time. It was really cool. It was really solid, some of the lessons they gave me. I feel a little more confident.”

Even Ravens players like Stanley who already knew how to swim got assistance from Phelps. Many of them even took him on in races from the blocks, with Phelps often giving the Ravens players a significant head start before diving in.

“This was an amazing day,” Stanley said. “I think that’s the greatest athlete of all time. To be able to share the water with him and actually swim laps against him and get coaching points after swimming against him, it was very surreal. I don’t know that I’ve ever felt that way, to be honest.”

As a gesture of appreciation for Phelps, the Ravens made a $100,000 donation to his foundation, which will in turn help more people gain confidence in the water.

“It was a special day,” said Phelps. “Racing some of the fellas in the 25 [meter]. My son raced some of the guys. It was a great day. I truly hope they learned something, hopefully got some confidence.”