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The Disneyland Report > Disney News > Phelps welcomed home by a sea of admirers: Thousands descend on Towson to honor the 'hometown hero' who won eight medals in Athens Disney NewsPhelps welcomed home by a sea of admirersSwimmer: Thousands descend on Towson to honor the 'hometown hero' who won eight medals in AthensBy Jennifer McMenamin and Andrew A. Green For eight days in August, they watched him swim, shatter records and conduct himself with a gracious humility that many said belied his 19 years. Then, for three weeks, they waited for him to come home. Olympic champion swimmer Michael Phelps did just that yesterday, and thousands of people from across Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region greeted him on the streets of Towson. There, public officials renamed a street in his honor, led a parade down York Road and bestowed upon him more proclamations, flags, plaques and trinkets than he could carry. "He's the hometown hero. He's right up there with the ranks of Johnny Unitas and Cal Ripken [Jr.] after just one eight-day event," said Richard Arrington, 43, a hotel concierge whose 18-month-old son, Nathan, wore an Olympic swim cap that Phelps tossed out from the back of a black Hummer during the parade. To the many young girls and teenagers in the crowd, however, Phelps is not just a hero. He is also something of a hometown heartthrob. Stephanie Apostolico, 16, knew as soon as she learned of yesterday's festivities in Towson that she had to attend -- never mind that she lives about 20 miles north of New York City. She got her parents, J.D. and Barbara Apostolico, out of bed at 4:30 a.m. and by 8 o'clock had staked out a prime spot on the parade route. Phelps, she explained, is someone to admire. "He's an amazing swimmer. A great athlete. Very inspiring," she said. All true, her parents noted, but they suggested there might be other reasons Stephanie and hundreds of other teenage girls dragged themselves out of bed on a Saturday morning. "Uh, well, there's that, too," she admitted. From the moment the crowd at Phelps' alma mater, Towson High School, first spotted the 6-foot-4-inch swimmer ambling down Cedar Avenue in a red T-shirt, khaki cargo shorts, flip-flops and dark sunglasses, the cheers hit an ear-piercing level. Click here to read the rest of the story Return to Disney News. |
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