Olympians Michael Phelps, Allison Schmitt embrace move to Arizona

Michael Phelps and Allison Schmitt are in the best of moods. Not just because it's nearly Christmas or because lunch soon will be served to replace the calories they burned in their final pre-holiday workout at Arizona State's Mona Plummer Aquatic Center.

Their happiness is much deeper and more profound.

Moving to Arizona to continue training with Bob Bowman, who left North Baltimore Aquatic Club to take a crack at transforming ASU into a college power, has been an unqualified success in the first four months.

Phelps is committed to being an ASU volunteer assistant coach in 2016-17 after he retires, for good, from competitive swimming, and Schmitt is looking into staying in Tempe to earn a master's degree in psychology so she can continue to help others who, like her, are dealing with depression or other mental health issues.

They are like older brother and sister with a friendship going back to when they were training under Bowman at the University of Michigan before the 2008 Olympics.

Now, they are back on a college campus with 28 Olympic medals between them, hardware that doesn't begin to measure what they've shared and how they've grown with each other's support. To still be training together toward the 2016 Rio Olympics is a bonus that neither expected after Phelps retired the first time following the 2012 London Olympics and much less after struggles both faced in the 3 1/2 years since London.

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"I wanted nothing to do with the water," after London, where he raised his haul to an Olympic-record 22 medals, including 18 gold, Phelps says. "I wanted to be as far away from it as I could. Now, being around it more than I have in a long time, I don't think I'll be able to go far from the sport because it is a part of me."

A seemingly simple yet telling revelation that shows how far Phelps, 30, has come in self-awareness since going into rehab treatment following a second DUI in fall 2014. He was driving 84 mph in a 45 mph zone when he was pulled over, a decade after his first impaired driving charge. Phelps pleaded guilty in both cases and now is on an 18-month probation during which he cannot drink alcohol.

For Phelps to be training in Arizona seems almost destined given his post-London path.

His first comeback swim meet was at a 2014 Grand Prix in Mesa. He had a 45-day rehab stint at The Meadows treatment center in Wickenburg, and his first meet back from a six-month USA Swimming suspension again was in Mesa.

It was at that Arena Grand Prix meet in April that Bowman first brought up the idea of taking the ASU job.

"I said, 'If you go, I'll go,' " Phelps told Bowman with one request that trainer Keenan Robinson also make the move from North Baltimore Aquatics. "I didn't want to swim for anybody else to finish my career, and I don't want to work with another trainer. Without the help of those two, I wouldn't be able to be where I am today."

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Bowman was named the 2016 U.S. Olympic men's coach in September, and Robinson, ASU's high performance aquatics coach, was chosen as the Olympic swim team trainer in November.

So, if Phelps qualifies for Rio and his fifth Olympics and Schmitt her third, they will be in familiar hands (David Marsh of SwimMAC Carolina is the U.S. women's coach). Neither, though, is assuming anything.

Phelps is the fastest in the world this year in three events – 100- and 200-meter butterfly and 200 IM – and Schmitt third in the U.S. for 2015 in the 200 and 400 freestyle. Both swam well during the summer before coming to Arizona and continued to do so this fall at a Grand Prix in Minneapolis and U.S. Winter Nationals.

Schmitt and Robinson, whose wife is 2004 Olympian and Arizona native Kalyn Keller, are living for now with Phelps and his fiancée, Nicole Johnson – "One big happy family," Phelps says – with another housemate on the way. Phelps and Johnson are expecting a son in May.

So this Olympics preparation, with a 14-swimmer pro group at ASU, will be different for Phelps and not simply because of location, which he and Schmitt rave about.

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"For me, somebody who swam inside for 20 years, being able to see a clear blue sky and sun 95 percent of the time, it's just a good change," Phelps said. "Our attitude towards workout is a lot better now than what it was in the past. I'd be the first one to say this is one of the best places I've ever lived."

Schmitt remembers smiling during a recent practice after returning from a trip to Colorado.

"It was in the 40s but so nice to be outside in the sun," she said. "I love change, and I've really adapted well to it. I'm just so happy to be here."

Both are more open about their lives than ever before, discovering the dark side of bottling up problems. Schmitt has done interviews since May about undergoing therapy for depression, an issue also for Phelps, who has done revealing interviews this fall for a cover story in Sports Illustrated and on "Undeniable with Joe Buck."

"It's kind of trite to say they're growing up," said Bowman, who likens their transformation to advancing on psychologist Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs to the stage of self-actualization. "They've gone through some really hard times. It's been a total life change (in Arizona). The group we have is very good. The environment, staff, obviously the weather and the facility and being part of what's going on at ASU. It's just more fun."

Bowman also is embracing the change, something his swimmers notice.

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"I haven't seen this side of Bob in a long time," Phelps said. "The excitement and passion he has for being back on the pool deck and just being able to get back on the college scene. It's something he's missed ever since he left Michigan. It's been a great relationship and partnership we've had (since Phelps was 11), and it would be a perfect team for us to continue to work together in a college atmosphere. Sometimes high school- and college-aged kids are able to relate to me more than they'll relate to Bob or vice versa. So being able to fit together into one equation, it's going to be cool to watch the team grow even more."

Schmitt, 25, believes because swimmers are taught at a young age to persevere through hours of repetitive training and rely on themselves that admitting they need help especially in regard to mental health is difficult.

"Michael said it best when we were watching the Joe Buck interview," she said. "We're normal people. The public doesn't really see that. I haven't wrapped it around my head yet that people look up to you. I'm starting to realize it and to realize swimming has given me a platform to help people out. If me speaking out about depression is what it's going to take, then that's the path I'm going to go on because I'd rather help someone else than help myself out."

Phelps, after inhaling three tacos and starting on some monster pancakes, can't resist at the opening from Schmitt.

"By no way, shape or form would I ever use normal to describe you," he said. "But go ahead."

Schmitt, true to her nickname Giggles, laughs and tells how she and Phelps can change from dragging themselves into the car for practice to being "slap happy" by the time they reach the pool because of Phelps' attempted singing to whatever music.

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"In London, I was more excited watching her win a (200 free) gold medal than I was winning my own gold medal just because of how I watched her prepare," Phelps said. "I know how hard it is and what work it takes. I'm glad to see the old Allison back where she is laughing and smiling. Like she said, a happy swimmer is a fast swimmer."

Bowman said Schmitt had the best practice he's ever seen from her on Dec. 17 and believes that even with current superstar Katie Ledecky in the way that Schmitt can be successful in 2016. Phelps said he's training better going into 2016 than any year since 2008, when he won a record eight gold medals at the Beijing Olympics.

The U.S. Olympic Trials, with Rio berths at stake, are June 26 to July 3 in Omaha, Neb.

He wants his Arizona native infant son to be able to say he watched his famous father swim at the Olympics even if it will be remembered in photos and his parents' memories. That would bring Phelps full circle from the 2000 Sydney Games "when you were a baby" at age 15, Schmitt says, and echo Gary Hall carrying his 1-year-old son Gary Jr., 40 years earlier on the pool deck at the 1976 Montreal Olympics.

Funny thing is, Phelps turns down requests to hold babies when asked to do so by fans.

"I'm sorry, it's something I've never done," he said. "But I'm excited to hold my baby. I want to hold mine first."

Reach Metcalfe at 602-444-8053 or jeff.metcalfe@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him at twitter.com/jeffmetcalfe.