Michael Phelps to Race Great White Shark: 'I Got In & Did My Best'

As you may know, Michael Phelps, one of the most celebrated swimmers of all time, will be racing a Great White Shark for Shark Week in a special titled, Phelps vs. Shark: Great Gold vs. Great White.

“I was like, ‘Yeah, sure, why not? Let’s see who would win a race.’ It’s hard for me to race something that has the speed that they have, and how fast they can turn on a dime is something that’s truly incredible, especially with the size of these animals. I got in and did my best, and you guys are going to have to see what the outcome is. But I think it’s just interesting more for me to learn and to teach people about what sharks can do, and learn what to do and what not to do around sharks,” Michael told EW. “The only thing I can say is we weren’t in a pool. We were in open water. We were very safe. We had about 15 safety divers around. For me, the biggest thing was just trying to stay warm; that was something that was extremely challenging, just because the water is 55 degrees. It’s something that a shark can survive in, and a human really can’t survive in water like that.”

The race will air on July 23, 8 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery!