There is a Michael Phelps you don’t see.

Many people do not know that Phelps will typically go out of his way for the media.  He will always stop to answer questions or give a quick quote.  Yes, there are times that his schedule prevents this, but it is rare for him not to take the time if he has it.

This side of Phelps rang true today during his press conference, as he showed a graciousness that we could only wish upon every other athlete out there.

With just two questions remaining and time running out, a local reporter posed a question.  It was a long one – perhaps a minute in length. It was also one that Phelps found some humor in – as did every other journalist in attendance.

The humor? It was due to the fact that the translated audio was not working to Phelps’ earpiece, and try as he might to comprehend, the language barrier did not give him the ability to.

Another local journalist attempted to remedy the situation and quickly translate, but it went woefully wrong.  After a brief few moments, the moderator simply chose to move on to the next question.

But there was Phelps, stopping the moderator dead in his tracks, in an effort to have someone translate the question so that he could answer it. Graciousness. Poise. Maturity.

The question?  Something about mathematics.

The answer? “I am terrible at math. Math was always my worst subject in school.”

In the grand scheme it was a question that would not have been missed. But to that reporter, it meant something.  Phelps respected that, and in the process earned an added respect from all in attendance.