Michael Phelps, who has stated that he will retire after the 2016 Rio Games, has begun his farewell tour with a poignant Under Armour ad showcasing the 30-year-old’s brutal training regimen for what will be his last Olympics. The 90-second spot features the 22-time medalist swimming, lifting weights, carbo-loading and even undergoing cupping therapy as “The Last Goodbye” by the Kills plays in the background. As the ad fades out, the slogan, “It’s what you do in the dark that puts you in the light,” flashes on screen.
Phelps also shared a video of himself and his fiancée, Nicole Johnson, both being brought to tears the first time they were shown the commercial at Under Armour’s Baltimore headquarters just before Christmas. “That’s insane,” Phelps says in the clip.
The ad is part of Under Armour’s ongoing “Rule Yourself” campaign that has featured other big names such Tom Brady, Steph Curry and Misty Copeland.
- What We Know So Far About the Deadly Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria
- Beyoncé's Album of the Year Snub Fits Into the Grammys' Long History of Overlooking Black Women
- How the U.S. Shot Down the Alleged Chinese Spy Balloon
- Effective Altruism Has a Toxic Culture of Sexual Harassment and Abuse, Women Say
- Inside Bolsonaro's Surreal New Life as a Florida Man—and MAGA Darling
- 'Return to Office' Plans Spell Trouble for Working Moms
- 8 Ways to Read More Books—and Why You Should
- Why Aren't Movies Sexy Anymore?
- How Logan Paul's Crypto Empire Fell Apart
