Phelps, Crocker reveal lives away from pool

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LOS ANGELES – Michael Phelps wants to make swimming more than a once-every-four-years sport in the United States.

He’s taking a step toward that goal with “Unfiltered,” a new documentary that shows Phelps’ life away from the pool and reveals the uneasy relationship between the Olympic star and his father.

The film is scheduled to come out on DVD in late September or early October.

“We wanted to try something new to get more attention from the average Joe,” Phelps said. “Hopefully, everyone likes it and it will attract new fans to the sport.”

The idea for a documentary came from Peter Carlisle, an agent who represents Phelps and his 100-meter butterfly rival Ian Crocker of Portland, who is also featured.

Cameras followed Phelps and Crocker from April through the world championships in July, a schedule that took them from Indianapolis to Denver to Austin, Texas, to Ann Arbor, Mich., and Montreal.

Footage shows them rising in the early morning hours in different cities for practice, racing each other in major meets, unwinding by singing and playing guitar (Crocker) or playing cards and video games (Phelps).

There’s even an appearance by the ubiquitous Donald Trump.

“Swimming is a little bit of a tough sport to become a major celebrity, yet Michael has done that,” the mogul says in the film.

Phelps’ celebrity is especially big with young girls, who scream and rush him for autographs. An attractive blonde named Amanda talks about what it was like to have Phelps as her prom date.

At first, the cameras felt intrusive to the shy Crocker, a 2000 Cheverus High of Portland graduate who laments in the film that he will end up being the guy who never gets married.

“It took some getting used to,” he said in an interview. “You kind of feel pressure to act a certain way. Then you realize they’re there to capture whatever is going on.”

Sometimes, it wasn’t pretty.

Phelps’ parents, Fred and Debbie, divorced when he was seven. Debbie raised her only son and two daughters.

“He got remarried and went on his way and did his thing and we did our thing,” Michael says on camera.

The elder Phelps quietly attended the 2004 Olympics, where he sat apart from his former wife and daughters to watch Michael emerge as a major star by winning eight medals, six of them gold.

“I’m very proud of him,” Fred says on camera. “I’m sharing as much of his success as I can with him. I’d love to share more. I’d like to have the son back that I had before. I’d like to have the son that liked to do things with his dad.”

Fred is shown wiping away tears. But 20-year-old Michael is strictly matter-of-fact about the relationship.

“When you say things and do things are two different things,” he says in the film. “People can say anything they want, but if you don’t try, you don’t try.”

When Phelps’ attitude sours during morning practice, coach Bob Bowman is seen chewing him out. Phelps talks back, and the tension rises.

“Bob and I have gotten into it a number, number of times,” Phelps says in the film.

Like an old married couple, the duo gives each other the silent treatment the rest of the day until making up before practice ends.

“My job is to push him as far as I can and you only know what the limit is when you go past it sometimes,” Bowman says on camera.

Bowman drives Phelps to the pool when they’re on the road, and Phelps mocks his coach’s choice of music and how far away he parks.

“The movie is not all swimming and that was a huge goal to show outside the pool,” Crocker said. “People see me cracking jokes and go, ‘I didn’t know you were funny.”‘

Crocker, who operates at self-described “maximum chill” everywhere except when racing, reveals he was diagnosed with depression in 2002. He attributes it to a letdown after the 2000 Olympics and the pressure of starting college at the University of Texas in Austin.

Meanwhile, Phelps is seen rattling around alone in a nicely furnished house in Ann Arbor, where Bowman moved to coach the University of Michigan swim team and Phelps followed.

“It’s kind of a weird change, coming from Baltimore to Ann Arbor because its so much smaller,” Phelps says in the film. “I like bigger towns better.”

Phelps is taking one class this fall while serving as a volunteer assistant coach. His live-in companion is a kitten.

Despite the plush surroundings, Phelps is shown living like a typical college student, eating cereal and watching poker on television. The exception is his tricked-out SUV with three televisions, rims and a deluxe sound system.

He grew up with his mother and sisters, who washed his dirty clothes and dishes for him.

“It’s a little different now,” he said in an interview. “I have to do it on my own. I do miss home a lot.”