All About Michael Phelps' 4 Kids

Michael Phelps and his wife, Nicole Johnson, share four sons: Boomer, Beckett, Maverick and Nico

In addition to his whopping 28 Olympic medals, Michael Phelps also has a brood of boys.

The Olympian shares sons Boomer, 7, Beckett, 6, Maverick, 4, and newborn Nico, who arrived in January 2024, with his wife, Nicole Johnson.

The family of six enjoys spending quality time together, from watching movies to attending football games. Michael also credits his family for helping him work through his depression, as their routines and rituals have helped curtail the effects, he told PEOPLE in 2021. One such routine is their daily 5 p.m. family dinners.

"As a kid, I always wanted to have dinner as a family but with my parents separated, that didn't happen often," Michael told PEOPLE. "I love how we have dinner every night together at the same exact time."

As Michael sometimes still struggles with mental illness, he is determined to help his sons learn how to work through negative feelings.

"They talk about their emotions," the retired professional swimmer said. "It gives me a lot of hope. I just want them to be as prepared as they can be."

Nicole added that when Michael is having a particularly difficult day and “can’t get out of bed,” their children will "either try to be near him or they'll question what he's experiencing.”

"We don't hide from emotions. We teach them that daddy or mommy is having a moment and we need to either give them space or ask if they want a hug,” she explained. “And that's taught them they have permission for their feelings to be heard too."

And when it’s time for a hug, Michael said the kids “just make me melt.”

"It makes me go to the ground instantly. I absolutely adore being around them,” Michael added of his children.

Here's everything to know about Michael Phelps' four sons.

Boomer Robert Phelps, 7

Michael and Nicole welcomed their first son, Boomer, on May 5, 2016, after previously announcing they were expecting a boy.

At just 3 months old, Boomer traveled to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to watch his dad compete in the 2016 Olympics. He sported red-white-and-blue headphones throughout the races as he watched (and snoozed) from the stands while his dad won five gold and one silver medals.

Michael told PEOPLE after the Olympics that his focus was now entirely on Boomer as he retired from swimming. “I’m leaving here and going home, and it’s going to be all about Boomer,” he shared after his wins in Rio. “I only get this chance with him once. So I’m going to take this time to be a hands-on dad.”

“Fatherhood has changed me,” he added. “And I like it. I’m ready for this new stage of my life.”

Following the Olympics, Michael opened up about Boomer’s unique name on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. He explained that the couple didn’t want a “normal name” and didn’t think twice after they came up with Boomer.

“We heard the name, and we didn’t want, like, a normal name,” he said. “And I brought it up to Nicole and she was like, ‘Oh, that sounds kinda cool.’ Boomer, like boom boom ... we didn’t know either.”

He continued, “We had no second option — once we picked that, we were like, ‘Yeah.’ He’s definitely gonna be the cool kid.” Boomer lived up to the name, accumulating over 500,000 followers on Instagram.

At 7 months old, Boomer served as his parents’ ring bearer at their wedding in 2016. “We put [the ring] in one of those little net bags that you have for fine jewelry,” Nicole told Brides. “We got one that matches his [Burberry] outfit, and we put that around his wrist, and he was carried down the aisle by [friend and gold medal swimmer] Allison [Schmitt], our roommate.”

Now 7, Boomer spends plenty of time with Michael as the two enjoy cooking and playing cards together.

In June 2023, Boomer finished kindergarten, which the family celebrated with “Mud Mania.” Nicole and Michael posted a joint carousel of Boomer and his younger brother finishing school, with the last slide showing Boomer all muddy after participating in the tradition.

"Final month of school 💙💛,” they wrote in the caption. “Can’t believe we have a first grader and a kindergartner! My favorite day was Mud Mania Booms final day of kindergarten… a long standing tradition!!”

Beckett Richard Phelps, 6

In August 2017, Michael and Nicole announced they were expecting their second child. Six months later, on Feb. 12, 2018, Beckett was born.

“Magical moments yesterday… Nicole and I would like to introduce Beckett Richard Phelps to the world! We had a healthy baby boy and a healthy mama,” Michael wrote in an Instagram post announcing Beckett's birth.

At just 11 weeks old, Beckett was already following in his father’s footsteps when he starred in his first ad campaign, a partnership with Huggies for their Little Swimmers water-friendly diapers.

“We are looking forward to enjoying the water as a family of four during Beckett and Boomer’s first summer together and are excited to partner with Huggies Little Swimmers to create the ultimate #WaterPlaybook for babies so they can be confident and comfortable in the water too,” Michael said in a statement.

Beckett is close to his older and younger brothers and the family enjoys spending time with one another, especially around the holiday season. In December 2020, Michael opened up about what a Phelps family Christmas looks like, sharing his sons’ excitement for the fun day.

"Being in Arizona, we have sunshine and palm trees and some of our palm trees have Christmas lights on them. That's the first time that we've ever done that and it's really cool to see the excitement on [my sons'] faces," he told PEOPLE. "I mean, every single one is different."

"Boomer's obviously older, he's experienced a little bit more, but every time Beckett sees Christmas lights, his face lights up so much, and it's the most precious smile in the world," Michael added. "Maverick walks by and just gasps every time he sees a Christmas tree."

The former swimmer also shared how his sons had kept busy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"They play outside, they ride their bikes, we have a little dirt track we built in the front of the house that they go out and ride on that," he said. "They love it. They absolutely love it."

Maverick Nicholas Phelps, 4

The third son of the Phelps family, Maverick Nicholas, was born on Sept. 9, 2019. The couple announced their happy news on Instagram with a professional shot of all five sitting on the hospital bed looking at Maverick.

“Family of 5! Welcome @mavericknphelps to the world! Born 9-9-19. Mama and baby are healthy and the boys are pumped to be big bros! #housefullofboys,” Michael captioned the photo.

Two months after welcoming their third son, Michael spoke with PEOPLE about what it felt like for Nicole as the only woman in a household of four boys.

“I think Nicole said something along the lines of, like, ‘I’m so lucky to have a house full of boys and no girls,’ and Boomer looked at her and said, ‘Mommy, you’re the girl in our house,’ ” Michael said. “So we’ve been saying that and it’s true, she’s the queen.”

In June 2022, all three of Phelps’ kids joined him as he was inducted into the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame. The athlete snapped some sweet pictures with his sons, who were dressed up in matching black suits and white sneakers.

The same year, during Christmas, Phelps and Nicole dressed their sons up in elf costumes for another sweet family photo. Michael twinned with the boys in green petticoats with matching yellow tights.

"I love all my elves 💛💚🎄," Nicole wrote in her Instagram post capturing the moment. "Merry Christmas from my family to yours 🥰."

Nico Michael Phelps

Nico Michael Phelps was born on Jan. 16, 2024.

"We’re so blessed to be given a 4th child," Nicole and Michael wrote on Instagram. "We’re now a family of 6! 😁😁🤪😂."

The couple confirmed their fourth pregnancy in October 2023. Nicole posted a picture of herself holding her pregnant belly while posing next to Michael on their seventh wedding anniversary.

"Happy Anniversary to my best friend, hubby and partner thru life. I couldn’t have asked for anyone better!" she wrote in the Instagram caption. "For those that are wondering… yes! we’re expecting our 4th Phelps in 2024."

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