Skateboarder Ryan Sheckler Says Michael Phelps Helped Him Stay Sober: 'He Could Relate'

Michael Phelps has used his personal struggles to help out those in need, including other pro athletes like skateboarder Ryan Sheckler.

The 23-time Olympic gold medalist has spoken about his past struggles with alcohol, which led to two DUI arrests during his journey to becoming the most decorated Olympian of all time.

Phelps once reached out to Sheckler, who starred in the MTV reality show, Life of Ryan, to offer encouragement on the topic, the latter said.

In a recent interview with Graham Bensinger, Sheckler detailed how Phelps played a part in him committing to sobriety after falling into relapse.

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"That he had been through a similar situation and that he knew exactly what I was feeling and he had been there, and he could relate," Sheckler said when asked about a phone call he shared with Phelps.

"When I got [him] calling me and taking time out of his day to give me hope, experience, strength, I was like, 'Bro, all right, I can do it. I can do this,' " he continued.

Phillip Faraone/Getty; Joe Scarnici/Getty

Sheckler, 31, said he had been sober for four years until 2020 when he believed he could start drinking again if it was in moderation. The decision kicked off a months-long relapse.

"I had taken so much time off of drinking, almost four years, that I was like, 'All right, maybe I got this.' Maybe I can just drink normal," he recalled. "I gave it a go and it turned out it's not in the cards for me."

RELATED: Michael Phelps Gets Candid About Dealing with Depression: 'I Put it Away for a Long Time'

"I had no defense to it, and I just started drinking and it ended up taking me out for like five months," he added.

According to a recent study, researchers found that adult alcohol and binge drinking had increased during the COVID-19 pandemic.

RELATED VIDEO: Olympian Michael Phelps Speaks Out About His Battle With Depression

Since retiring from competitive swimming, Phelps has become a mental health advocate and has openly discussed his battle with depression.

"Am I struggling? Hell yes, I struggle, I struggle every single day," he told PEOPLE in December. "It's understanding that I'm not the only one in the world that's struggling, and not everybody is out to get me. I'm just going through a difficult time, so that's okay. And it's okay to talk about that. It's okay to ask for help."