Maximus Williamson, a high school student from Texas, recently achieved a major milestone in his swimming career by breaking a 20-year national age group (NAG) record set by Olympic champion Michael Phelps. Williamson, who has been striving to break Phelps’ record since 2021, succeeded in shattering it at the 2022 Winter Junior Nationals competition in Austin, where he was competing for the Lakeside Aquatic Club. His time of 3:39.83 in the 400-yard individual medley beat Phelps’ 2002 NAG record of 3:42.08, which had stood for two decades. This accomplishment is especially impressive given that Phelps has set a total of 39 records in his career, and only a few other swimmers have managed to break any of them. Despite the challenges of competitive swimming, Williamson’s dedication and hard work paid off, earning him recognition and comparisons to the “Greatest of All Time.” His swim coach at Keller High School, Jamie Shults, praised his achievement, saying that breaking a 20-year record set by Phelps is “truly an extraordinary accomplishment.”