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Wheaties honors Michael Phelps with Lifetime Achievement box

Olympian Michael Phelps journey started in Baltimore and now has covered five Olympics, winning 28 Olympic medals and 23 gold medals. He is considered one of the greatest athletes of all time. (Kevin Richardson/Baltimore Sun video)

Michael Phelps will be eating his Wheaties from a box with his face on it yet again.

Wheaties has honored the 23-time gold medalist with its first Lifetime Achievement Award box, it was announced during the "Today" show Monday.

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The box, Phelps' third, was unveiled on Wheaties' Twitter feed as well with the message: "You've inspired us and countless others."

Phelps said during the "Today" interview that "the greatest athletes in the world have been able to be on the box of Wheaties. To be able to have the first career achievement Wheaties box, it just keeps getting better and better."

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The Baltimore native also talked about being on "daddy duty" since he returned from the Olympics in Rio.

"I can sleep until Boomer says it's time to wake up," Phelps said of his 3-month-old son with fiancee Nicole Johnson.

"I've got a diaper bag on my back, a car seat in my hand. It's nice being back and being able to spend time with him."

He said Boomer is "becoming just a crazy little dude overnight" because of his Instagram account. "Today" then showed a sleeping Boomer with his mom in the studio.

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Boomer has found a new love of football and has been "glued to the TV" during games (presumably Ravens games), Phelps said.

He said he swam on his first morning back in the U.S., and talked about working out with Johnson because he gained weight after he returned home from the 2012 Olympics.

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"I gained like 30 or 40 pounds after 2012, so I'm going to try not to do that this time. Nicole and I have been working out together. I've played golf a few times," he said.

Phelps also addressed the controversy around U.S. teammate Ryan Lochte, who has been accused of lying about being robbed while in Rio.

"It's always hard to see a friend and competitor go to through a hard time like this. I know what its like. I've been through it before," he said. "I hope he can come out of it a better person. I've reached out to him a couple times. Hopefully he can come through it."

Phelps said he will be helping his longtime coach Bob Bowman at Arizona State University, adding he will have to "learn to have better patience" as an assistant coach.

The newest Phelsmoji is at once an unsurprising and welcome addition.
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