Honorary Gator Katie Ledecky on Swimming With Country’s Best Stars Ahead of US Olympic Trials: ‘I Start Creeping Up’

Katie Ledecky is on a mission come Paris 2024. And unsurprisingly, her competition is with herself. Sitting atop the 1500m and 800m freestyle world record, Ledecky is aiming to break and better the same. And why not? Since 2023, Ledecky has been on a dream run that she has carried forward to 2024. Her feat of 16 World Championship gold medals saw her break Michael Phelps’ record of 15 gold medals. The USA swimming icon also clinched her 6th 800m freestyle world title while registering a third-fastest 1500m time. 

Debuting at the Knoxville Pro Swim Series Meet in 2024, Ledecky won the 1500m clocking 15:38.81s. And while Ledecky is busy raking up more individual glories, she is also looking equally excited in her new role. What’s more, Katie Ledecky’s new role also brought out the championship mentality within her. 

Its official – Katie Ledecky is now a gator

Katie Ledecky recently shared an array of her personal life details in her book, ‘Just Add Water’. Exploring several aspects, Ledecky shared her thoughts about being associated with the Florida Gators. Back in 2021, the 6x Olympic gold medalist joined the Florida Gators. Since joining, Ledecky has taken up the mantle of being a voluntary coach for the team. However, her main aim is to prepare herself for the Paris Olympics under the able guidance of Anthony Nesty. 

On being asked about how much she connected with the Gators, Ledecky stated, “I think I’m an honorary gator.” She then went on to detail her experience swimming alongside the iconic Florida Gators swimmers. Reflecting on the same, Ledecky stated, “Doing laps alongside of the fastest male swimmer for team USA I start creeping up on them 9 times out of 10, they will beat me. But I find that 10% I can get up there in their face.”

Indeed, swimming with the likes of Robert Finke and Kieran Smith is tough. The duo are two of the biggest names in the USA at the moment. Especially Finke, who is the defending 800m and 1500m Olympic champion from Tokyo. And the sheer belief that Ledecky could beat them at least once radiates her champion mentality. It is the same mentality that Katie Ledecky is looking to instill in future generations. 

Katie Ledecky wants future generations to be inspired 

Katie Ledecky is surely an inspiration. But she also wants younger swimmers to put in the hard work that she did throughout her career. Speaking on the matter, Ledecky stated, “I tried to give as much as I can. And I hope that young girls look up to me and can see the work that I’ve put in and the results that I’ve had and what I’ve tried to accomplish in and out of the pool. I hope they see that and are inspired by it, whether they’re a swimmer or not.” 

Ledecky further cited an example from her life on how she learned resilience. During the covid era, despite all the year long training, everything came to a standstill. To accept the situation and continue training in the backyard pools required a lot of mental toughness. This is exactly what Katie Ledecky wants from the swimmers of tomorrow. But as of now, the entire world is waiting for a Katie Ledecky special come the Paris Olympics.