Swimmer Michael Phelps, the most-decorated Olympian of all time, tweeted Sunday that he is taking a break from the sport “to attend a program that will provide the help I need to better understand myself.”
According to his official Twitter account, “Swimming is a major part of my life, but right now I need to focus my attention on me as an individual.”
The decision comes after he was charged last week with driving under the influence of alcohol, excessive speed and crossing double lines on Interstate 95 in Baltimore.
The 22-time Olympic medalist, 29, was arrested Tuesday about 1:40 a.m. and later released, police said. According to media reports, police said his blood-alcohol content was .14.
Last week’s arrest is not Phelps’ first run-in with the law
In 2004, he was arrested on charges of driving under the influence in Salisbury, Maryland. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 18 months probation. He also issued an apology after that incident.
Five years later, a photograph of him smoking marijuana at a party surfaced.
“I’ll make a million mistakes in my life, but as long as I never make the same mistake again, then I’ve been able to learn and grow,” Phelps said in 2012. He also said that the incident made him realize who his real friends were.
Of Phelps’ record-smashing 22 Olympic medals, 18 are gold, including the eight he won in 2008 at the Beijing Olympics.
Phelps returned to competitive swimming in April and raced for the United States in August at the Pan Pacific Swimming Championships, his first international meet since the Olympics (and two years before the next Games in Brazil).
