Twenty-eight-time Olympic medalist Michael Phelps doesn’t have to be in a pool to make a splash, and he’s proving that in retirement. The 33-year-old has used his platform to be an advocate in the space of mental health.

He was recently honored for his work by the Ruderman Family Foundation, who named him this year’s winner of the Morton E. Ruderman Award in Inclusion.

“Together, we can normalize the mental health conversation and recognize the potential in every person — with or without mental illness — to contribute to our world in their own unique way,” Phelps said in a statement.

Phelps partnered with Talkspace last year, which offers inexpensive online therapy with a licensed mental health practitioner.

In 2017, he was named the honorary chairman of the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Mental Health Awareness Day.

Additionally, he serves as an ambassador for the Child Mind Institute, an organization that helps children who are struggling with mental health challenges and learning disorders.

Phelps is a proponent for mental health because after his second DUI arrest in 2014, he considered taking his own life, but changed his course by seeking out help.

CHICAGO, IL – JANUARY 16: 28-time Olympic Medalist Swimmer Michael Phelps was among the advocates speaking at The Kennedy Forum National Summit On Mental Health Equity And Justice In Chicago at the Chicago Hilton and Tower Hotel on January 16, 2018 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jeff Schear/Getty Images for Kennedy Forum)

“I thought it would make things easier,” Phelps told the Associated Press. “I almost felt like it would be better for everybody if I wasn’t there. But the more I thought about it, I wanted to find a different route. I wanted to see if I could find some help. I wanted to see if I could get better.”

Today, he’s happily married and enjoying fatherhood with his two young children. However, he still hits rough patches when it comes to his own mental health.

“I still go through times that are very challenging. I do break down and maybe have a bad day, where I’m not in a good mental state,” he said. “I understand that. It’s who I am. I guess that will always be something that’s a part of me.”

That’s a big reason why he’s putting a lot of his time and energy into boosting conversation and treatment options.

“I feel like with all the issues we have in this world, this is something where I can truly make significant impact,” he said.