WBAL.com

Debbie Phelps got plenty of face time during the Olympics. Now, in the wake of her son winning eight gold medals at the Beijing Games, she’s putting out her own book to relate the experiences of a single mother raising three kids, one of whom turned out to be the greatest swimmer ever.

“A Mother For All Seasons” hits the shelves Tuesday, and Michael Phelps’ mom even touches on the embarrassment of her son being photographed inhaling from a marijuana pipe after his Olympic triumph.

“Yes, it’s an obstacle, a speed bump,” Debbie Phelps told The Associated Press in a recent telephone interview as she worked late at the Baltimore-area middle school where she serves as principal. “But things happen for a reason. This is something that all parents go through in some form, it just doesn’t happen to most people after your son has won eight gold medals at the Olympics.”

The photo of Michael Phelps turned up in a British tabloid on Feb. 1, severely damaging the reputation of an athlete who broke Mark Spitz’s 36-year-old record for the most gold medals at one Olympics.

It was the second major faux pas for the swimmer, who pleaded guilty to a drunken driving charge after winning six golds at the Athens Olympics in 2004.