Michael Phelps is known for being the most decorated Olympian of all time, but the 33-year-old retired swimmer wants to be recognized for something else, too: his willingness to talk about his battle with depression.

This week, Phelps spoke out about dealing with depression at the Talkspace Conference: Mental Health & Young Americans. Phelps is a shareholder and advisory board member for Talkspace, the popular online counseling service.

"I have a chance to save a life, and that’s way bigger than ever winning any gold medals," he said to the audience in New York City. Although six million American men experience depression daily, so few guys rarely speak about their experiences. But Phelps wants everyone to know, "It’s OK to not be OK."

In October 2014, Phelps sought help after spending five days locked inside his room contemplating suicide. "I knew something had to happen fast," Phelps said. "There has to be another way."

He admitted to initially hating therapy, but says it ended up saving his life. Phelps credits counseling with giving him insight into his feelings and tools to manage his depression.