Diving into the Olympic Games is no easy feat, just ask Michael Phelps.
In fact, the legendary swimmer—who amassed 28 Olympic medals throughout his career, 23 of which are gold—has been very open about his mental health journey over the years. And with the 2024 Paris Games kicking off, Phelps is offering words of encouragement to participating athletes.
"Just be you," he recently told E! News at Purina Pro Plan's premiere of docuseries Fueled By. "Be your authentic self."
"If you are going through some struggle," Phelps continued, "make sure you're asking for help and reaching out to people."
Following his own advice, the athlete started a group chat with sports reporter Jay Glazer to check in with one another.
"Honestly, it's those little things that really end up going and meaning the most," the 39-year-old shared. "Because you never know when those messages come through. And for me, they usually happen when I'm having a bad day."
Phelps—who shares kids Boomer, 8, Beckett, 6, Maverick, 4, and Nico, 5 months, with wife Nicole Phelps—also sent a reminder that it's OK not to be OK.
"I think during the last Olympics, we saw that mental health can arise at any given time with Simone Biles," Phelps told E!, referencing Biles' battle with "the twisties" during the Tokyo Games. "I think it's just having to be aware of that, and to remember, again, to take care of your mental and your physical wellbeing. Those things are both two separate components that we can't forget about either one."
As for his own emotions? Phelps, who made his last Olympic appearance at Rio in 2016, told E! that he's a lot calmer now than he was at the Tokyo Games.
"Only being five years removed from Rio to Tokyo, I kind of felt like I still wanted to get back in there and do it," he explained. "But now, four kids later, there's no shot that I ever want to get back into the water."
"Being able just to watch these kids have the opportunity to accomplish their goals and dreams is something that's so special," he added. "And something that I'm very thankful that was a part of my life for 15, 16 years."
Keep reading to revisit Phelps' winning Olympic moments...
—Reporting by Nikaline McCarley
400-Meter Medley, Athens, 2004
First time's the charm! Champion swimmer Michael Phelps playfully bites his first Olympic gold medal after winning the 400-meter individual medley. He broke his own record by 0.15 seconds and set a new world record with a time of 4:08:26!
200-Meter Butterfly, Athens, 2004
Phelps is all smiles as he celebrates winning another gold for Team USA.
4 x 200-Meter Freestyle Relay, Athens, 2004
Three cheers for Team USA! Phelps is pictured next with his medal to teammates Ryan Lochte, Peter Vanderkaay and Klete Keller, who beat Australia with a time of 7:07:33. Note the ceremonial olive wreaths, in honor of how the first Olympians used to roll eons ago in Athens.
200-Meter Medley, Athens, 2004
This guy would make Poseidon proud! Phelps' time of 1:57.14 set a new Olympic record and he tied Mark Spitz as the only other male swimmer to win more than two individual events in a single Olympics.
100-Meter Butterfly, Athens, 2004
There's no stopping this golden boy! Phelps defeated world record holder—and teammate—Ian Crocker to win this one.
4 x 100-Meter Medley Relay, Athens, 2004
Phelps shared in the gold-medal win because he had swam in the qualifying heat, but he gave up the spot he had automatically qualified for in the final race to Ian Crocker. Sportsman of the year, as well?!
400-Meter Medley, Beijing, 2008
He's back, baby! Phelps brings home his first medal of the 2008 Summer Olympics, beating his own world record in the event by five seconds, an astonishing feat. He would swim on to win seven more gold medals, six of them in world-record time, in Beijing.
4 x 100-Meter Freestyle Relay, Beijing, 2008
Phelps and teammates Brendan Hansen, Jason Lezak and Aaron Piersol wave to the cheering crowd after receiving their gold medals.
200-Meter Freestyle, Beijing, 2008
Phelps smashes his own world record with a time of 1:42:96, bringing home the Olympic gold medal for the first time in this event.
200-Meter Butterfly, Beijing, 2008
Phelps stands for the national anthem after winning the 10th gold medal of his career with the world-record time of 1:52:03. He also became the first swimmer to win consecutive Olympic golds in a butterfly event.
4 x 200-Meter Freestyle Relay, Beijing, 2008
Golden boys! Phelp, Ryan Lochte, Ricky Berens and Peter Vanderkaay pose with roses and their medals after setting another world record in the pool.
200-Meter Medley, Beijing, 2008
Another race, another world record time, this one 1:54:23.
100-Meter Butterfly, Beijing, 2008
He feels the need for speed! Phelps sets an Olympic record (but leaves the world one intact for a change) while picking up his seventh gold in China.
4 x 100-Meter Medley Relay, Beijing, 2008
Team USA set a new world record, and Phelps passed Spitz's all-time haul of seven golds in one Summer Olympics by winning eight.
4 x 200-Meter Freestyle Relay, London, 2012
No time for tea! Phelps and teammates Conor Dwyer, Ryan Lochte and Ricky Berens celebrate their victory, Phelps' first gold medal at what he was saying at the time would be his final Olympics.
200-Meter Medley, London, 2012
Phelps goes 1-2 with teammate Ryan Lochte, becoming the first male swimmer to win the same event in three consecutive Olympics.
100-Meter Butterfly, London, 2012
He's fast but he's certainly not furious! Phelps is all smiles with yet another gold, his third straight win in this Olympic event as well.
4 x 100-Meter Medley Relay, London, 2012
Phelps thinks he's ending his career as the most-decorated Olympian of all time with 22 medals, 18 of them gold.
4 x 100-Meter Freestyle Relay, Rio, 2016
So much for retirement! Phelps teams with Nathan Adrian, Ryan Held and Caeleb Dressell to kick off their 2016 Olympic Games with some gold.
200-Meter Butterfly, Rio, 2016
What a difference a few years makes! Phelps kisses his son, Boomer, after winning his 20th Olympic gold medal.
4 x 200-Meter Freestyle Relay, Rio, 2016
Phelps and Lochte get it done for a record fourth consecutive Olympics, this time with Conor Dwyer and 19-year-old Townley Haas.