A dominant force in swimming for over a decade, Katie Ledecky, Olympic Athlete hopes to inspire young and aspiring swimmers.
To the Paris 2024 Olympic GamesLedecky became the Most decorated American Olympic athlete of all time.
“There’s a lot of tough days. There’s a lot of races that are tough, but I love it. I love being with my teammates. I love setting goals and chasing them,” she said in an interview with “CBS Mornings.”
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Although she has not yet set a new goal, Ledecky She said she had taken a break to “take it all in” after training seven days a week for the Paris Games.
Her new book, “Just Add Water,” traces her journey from Bethesda, Maryland, to becoming one of the greatest athletes of her generation. In it, she recounts meeting another legendary athlete, Michael Phelps, when she was just 6 years old. Years later, they became teammates.
“I got a high five from him in the preparation room when I was 15 at the London Olympics and in that moment I immediately remembered looking up at him, getting his autograph… it had such an impact on me,” she said.
Ledecky writes that she is often compared to a male swimmer’s stroke, explaining that she hopes to change the dialogue.
“When I first started swimming, I swam a little bit of a different stroke than a lot of other distance swimmers and I think that’s what made me so great, what propelled me onto the scene, was doing something a little bit different,” she said. “I hope that in the future and maybe even today, people can say, ‘Oh, she swims like Katie Ledecky,’ or ‘She’s got Katie’s stroke.’”
With 14 medals, including nine gold, Ledecky may not be done yet. The four-time Olympian hopes to compete in Los Angeles in 2028.
“I would love to swim in Los Angeles. I think an Olympics in the United States is a unique opportunity,” she said. “Not every athlete gets the chance to compete in an Olympics at home.”
