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2016 Rio Olympic Star Michael Phelps Says He’s Now On ‘Boomer Time’

By Amy Feinstein
Published on: 06:20 PST, Aug 17, 2016

Olympic swimming phenom Michael Phelps says that he is now happily retired, and he says that it is now “Boomer Time,” referring to his three-month-old son, Boomer. For years, Phelps has been a swimmer 24-7, and now he is ready to just be Boomer’s dad. For the last few weeks, Boomer Phelps and his mother, Nicole Johnson (Michael Phelps; fiancee), have been seen in the stands at every swim event that included dad Michael, cheering (and often napping) with his stylish red, white, and blue headphones. Second to swimmer Michael Phelps, Boomer is the much photographed Phelps.

So Michael Phelps, the swimmer with all the records and most medals ever in the Olympic games will no longer be seen on the training table getting his cupping therapy, according to the Inquisitr, but he will be hanging out around Rio and in the Olympic Village with a baby carrier in hand, just being Boomer’s dad. Phelps had admitted that when he retired after the London Olympics, he felt an emptiness, but now, with Nicole and Boomer, the feeling is just the opposite, and he can’t wait for the next chapter.

The always in-demand Phelps is closing his eyes to catch a quick nap on the hotel patio. That’s Boomer Phelps, according to Baltimore CBS. Sure, dad Michael is a pretty big star, but Boomer Phelps has certainly stolen some attention from his Olympic dad, according to his mom, Nicole Johnson.

“I don’t think we realized how much Boomer would become a star. It’s fun to watch as a mom.”

Nicole Johnson’s favorite coverage of Boomer so far was by the Huffington Post, which wrote a spoof article by Boomer in the first person, suggesting what the little Phelps must be thinking.

“Sometimes he would get fussy,” she said. “He’ll grab his ear, ‘Come on, Mom. I’m done, take these off.'”

Michael Phelps says that he has really enjoyed watching the effect that Boomer has on fans at the Rio Olympics, and Boomer’s Instagram account (set up by his parents, Nicole and Michael Phelps) has gained 500k new followers.

“I’ve got to keep everybody happy. It’ll be fun to share this experience with him. Hopefully, in four years, he’ll be able to understand a little bit and I’ll get a chance to take him to Tokyo.”

And Michael Phelps says that having Boomer has also given him a new drive when it comes to promoting swimming, and he also focuses on water safety for babies and children.

But Michael Phelps told the Today Show that he has other life goals, which include hopefully giving Boomer Phelps a little sister. Phelps confessed that adding a little girl to the Phelps clan would be a dream come true.

“We’ve talked about more [children]. We don’t really know how many more we want. I think we’re gonna have some fun with Boomer before we make that next choice of trying for another one.”

And though Phelps and fiancee Nicole want more than anything to have healthy children when they add to their family, there is something about having a little girl that appeals to Michael. Perhaps it’s his tight relationship with his own big sisters.

“We would love a girl. Love, love, love a girl. We wanted a boy first, just in case we did have other children, [so] he could be the protector of his younger sibling or siblings. So we started off on a perfect note: We got a boy. We got a beautiful, healthy baby boy, and we’re looking to continue to grow our family.”

His family is critical to the success that Michael Phelps has had, and he credits his mother and his sisters for being such an important piece of the puzzle that has led to his phenomenal success at the Olympic Games and in swimming in general.

Do you think that Michael Phelps has really retired this time? What more could be accomplished by a man who has won 23 Olympic Gold medals?

[Photo by Matt Slocum/AP Images]

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