Known for her smiling and happy personality, Melissa (Missy) Franklin is a 5-time Olympic gold medalist. Making her debut at the 2012 London Olympics at only 17, she is one of the most impressive competitors in the swimming industry; with some even calling her the “Female Michael Phelps”. She has since competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics and multiple world championships. She has continued to impress the world with her amazing performances and her positive mindset.
With her confidence in and out of the pool, Missy Franklin is one of the best athletes to watch and admire. Since she began swimming, Missy was already a superstar in the pool; participating in and winning multiple international and world championships. At a young age, …show more content…
Her vigorous training style and competitiveness has led her to have many severe injuries that have weakened her swimming abilities. During her race at the Pan Pacific Championships in 2014, Missy hurt, and suffered from a back injury (spasms that flared up during her swims) that put her out of a competitive mindset and gave her a difficult time in races. Soon after her injury, many new problems arose. She had failed to come close to her personal records and was falling behind in the competition; placing 7th in a race she had previously set a world record in. While she did qualify for the 2016 Rio Olympics, she was unable to perform her best; not making finals for the races that had previously made her famous. Right after the 2016 Olympics, Missy was diagnosed with bursitis in both of her shoulders; compelling her to get multiple surgeries to reduce the buildup of scarred tissue. With these challenges came many comments from the media and fans, making her feel the stress of her …show more content…
Some believed that due to her switching coaches, turning professional and going back to college to be some of her problems. Along with the injures she has had to go through, many are coming up with things to blame. Yet Missy doesn’t want to give an excuse; when asked what went wrong she simply replied with she didn’t know, saying “It’s a disappointment, but the support that I’ve received has shown me so much more than I could have ever expected about – you’re so much more than just the number of medals, you’re so much more than the time you are in a pool. Your value goes beyond all of that. I don’t think I would have ever come to that realization without something like this.” After the Olympics, her teammates help dance parties for her and she called her parents to ask for help, saying that “one of the biggest things I’ve learned is that it’s OK to ask for help.” But most importantly, she kept her head up and tried to keep a positive mindset, relying on her faith and knowing that God has a plan for her