Making a Splash: A Single Mom Forges Gold

Anyone who watched Michael Phelps win Olympic gold, after gold, after gold, is familiar not just with his 24-karat smile in the water but also with the beaming face of his mother, Debbie, in the stands. In this candid interview, Debbie talks about raising the boy who would become the most decorated Olympian of all time. She speaks with great openness about the fact that raising a superstar isn’t always shiny. She puts no gloss on the early days when Michael considered quitting, and repeatedly got in trouble at the pool. And she shares some astonishing stories about the inner drive her son possessed from a very early age.

Om Podcasten

Hosted by beloved NBA parents Sonya and Dell Curry, Raising Fame: Sports Edition reveals the amazing childhood backstories of your favorite sports icons. The Currys interview the people who raised these sports legends into the idols they are today. Parents. Stepparents. Grandparents. Adoptive parents. We take you back to when Tom Brady the GOAT was just “Tommy” and not getting a single snap at QB; when Shaquille O’Neal was the unexpected newborn of a strong but scared teen mother; when Steph Curry was still hoisting his shot from his waist; when Megan Rapinoe was wearing angel wings on Halloween; and when Michael Phelps was getting kicked out of the pool for misbehaving. Hear the unforgettable stories of these iconic athletes’ childhoods. How they were raised. The highs and lows of their paths to glory. Incredible tales shared by the people who helped shape them into the superstars you know and love.