Failure Of A Role Model: Michael Phelps Scandal

Michael Phelps is a competitive swimmer, that is mostly know for setting world records for swimming and winning over 20 medals in the Olympics. In November of 2008, he was pictured smoking a bong at a party, at the University of South Carolina. He admitted that the picture was real, and said that he “engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment”. This scandal really hurt Phelps’ ethos, which means his credibility or trustworthiness. Many considered Phelps to be a role model, and believed that it was his responsibility to set a good example for others, obviously Phelps failed to fulfill those responsibilities when that picture of him surfaced. Previous to the scandal, Phelps was on the front of “Wheaties” cereal