Michael Phelps' last Olympics will be significant in more ways than one.
The most decorated Olympian of all time talked about the upcoming competition in Rio on Tuesday night at the U.S. Olympic Committee's media summit. Besides insisting this will be his last Olympics ever, Phelps said he was just as excited about having his kid there to see him compete.
Last November, Phelps, 30, announced he's expecting his first child with his fiancee, Nicole Johnson.
WATCH: Michael Phelps DUI Footage Shows Him Flashing Abs at Police
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"One of the coolest things about being a father going into Rio is that our firstborn has the chance to see my last race ever," Phelps said, via USA Today. "I think that's something that'll be really special, that we'll be able to share stories with him, you know, from the time he gets old enough to realize. And I'm excited to have a lot of photos and just to share the moments, and memories with him growing up as a kid.
Phelps also addressed his highly publicized brushes with the law. In September 2014, he was arrested for DUI in Baltimore, Maryland (his second DUI arrest), and one month later, he checked into rehab. In an interview with Sports Illustrated last November, Phelps said he hasn't drank alcohol since.
"I'm just living a freer, happier life now, and I think it's something that is a huge change," Phelps said on Tuesday. "I don't feel like I'm carrying weights around anymore. Whatever I'd been holding inside of me, I was able to get it out and was able to start fresh, and that's a pretty incredible feeling."
Clearly, his experience in rehab has had a significant impact on his life.
"When I look in the mirror, I'm still the same person but how I approach things is a little different," he said. "I'm a lot more laid back, I'm a lot more open. I keep the most important people closer to me than I ever have before. I actually pick up the phone when somebody calls -- that's a big change."
He also said he's more laid back when it comes to being competitive.
Phelps' healthier state of mind is a big change from his candid SI interview last November, when he admitted that he was "in a really dark place" after he was arrested for his second DUI.
"I was in a really dark place ...not wanting to be alive anymore," he recalled. "I look back now ...I lived in a bubble for a long time."
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