Katie Ledecky isn’t just an Olympian; she’s one of the most gifted athletes in the world.
Ledecky is famous not only for racking up half a dozen Olympic medals but also becauseshe rarely ever loses.
To top it off, the athlete is immensely likable, with fans admiring her humility and work ethic.
No one in the history of female swimming has won as many awards as Ledecky.
Her record-breaking times have drawn accusations of steroid use, even though there’s no proof of her doping.
“It has never crossed my mind to dope.
It’s not who I am.”
In that, Katie Ledecky is particularly blessed.
The Olympian comes from a close-knit family who has her back no matter what.
Ledecky, for her part, credits her brother’s work ethic as an inspiration.
“I’ve always looked up to my brother, for how hard he works,” she said.
“I started swimming with him, and we had a lot of fun.”
Swimming can secure your life, something that Katie Ledecky’s mother knows all too well.
Per theAlbuquerque Journal, Mary Gen was a nationally-ranked swimmer whose freestyle skills qualified her for nationals three times.
Both Ledecky and her brother, Michael, proved to be talented at the sport.
While Michael didn’t go on to be an Olympian, he did swim throughout high school.
Clearly, swimming genes run strong in the Ledecky family!
An injury, however, is what really cemented Ledecky’s decision to prioritize swimming over other sports.
“That’s kind of when I started thinking, ‘I really like swimming.
I’m going to not risk playing other sports,'” she explained.
This doesn’t bother Ledecky; rather, it motivates her.
“That’s something that I actually work toward,” she said.
Instead, it’s her ability to keep pushing herself and overcome her failures until she succeeds.
Ledecky’s advice for young people who look up to her?
Having goals whether in swimming or another dream.
So, Ledecky started classes at Stanford University in 2016 after competing in her second Olympics.
“I enjoy representing my team, my country, my family, myself.
I don’t think at my age I need to represent something more than that.”
“That’s definitely something I want to do,” she toldBethesda Magazinein 2012.
Ledecky finished up her degree virtually, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The political science and psychology major graduated from Stanford in 2020, as noted byInsider.
Yet, miraculously, her fame and lofty goals don’t induce panic in her.
The key to avoiding feeling pressure, she toldVogue, is planning.
“I really don’t feel [pressure],” she said.
“I’ve just always set goals.
When it comes to setting those goals, Ledecky isn’t afraid to go big.
In fact, her advice is to shoot for the moon.
“Set goals that, when you set them, you think they’re impossible,” she toldToday.
But those aren’t the only things keeping her rooted.
Ledecky noted that her faith has been a strong presence in her competitive career.
In fact, prayer is another thing that helps her keep stress at bay.
“It gives me peace knowing I’m in good hands.”
We ended up staying for three months.”
Wow, Katie, feel free to use our pool any time you’d like.
Will Katie Ledecky ever retire?
Will Katie Ledecky be one of them?
Ledecky, herself, certainly has no plans of retiring.
Whatever Ledecky does after she leaves competitive swimming, we’re sure it will be impressive.
Her family has a long history of academic and professional success.
