An Olympic gold medal at 15 years of age, three senior world championship titles at 16 years of age, and completing 800m triple Olympic golds at 23 years of age—all these accomplishments justify Katie Ledecky’s ‘legend’ title. In the last 12 years, she has gathered almost every piece of swimming hardware in her cabinet. Furthermore, a few things, such as consistency, have also stood tall without waiting for any formal recognition. But her initial days in the pools failed to generate a bright indication. 

Rather, the fourth-time Olympian has doubted herself enough to find any shore in her cherished sports. Now, when Katie is on the brink of making history, she shares her struggles to climb such a long mountain. 

Katie Ledecky describes her ‘unique’ story in the pools 

The 400m free event at the Paris Olympics did not give Katie Ledecky the result she wanted. Ultimately, arch-rival Ariarne Titmus remained a few more meters ahead to touch the finishing line. But the American legend had no lack of effort in her preparation. Rather, in her autobiography, Just Add Water: My Swimming Life, several lines narrate that her tough work regime used to take a toll on her body. One such line reads, “Today the pool hurts. Well, I hurt. My arms and legs feel like they’re filled with cement.” But keeping her eyes set on the target, the 27-year-old didn’t side herself on the cushion of comfort. 

Her undying attitude finds a description in the same row where she penned, “I’m ramping up training to try to qualify for the Paris Olympics, which would be my fourth Olympics.” That shows the determination of the soul, which does not care about the limitations coming from the body. In a sport like swimming, where the first and last rule stands to be chasing the shore with the head down in the water, both the body and mind are prone to bear the effects. But Katie Ledecky can easily say that the pools are her happy place. Not just now, since her six years of age, the Bethesda-born has tried to find her solace in the pool. 

In her autobiography, she mentioned that her initial ambition had been to touch the other side of the pool without stopping anywhere. That ambition still works for her. Ultimately, that ambition pushes her to live another day in the pool. The result is Katie’s consistent rise in fame and a certain recognition that is second to none. 

Michael Phelps is ready to call her best in the game 

In the medal tally, Katie Ledecky still needs three more to make her the best-ever female swimmer to hold the hardware. But as per Michael Phelps, that would be a matter of days for Katie to cover. Just after her defeat to Ariarne Titmus, Michael Phelps sat down with Mike Tirico to discuss the American prospect at the Paris Olympics. Undoubtedly, Katie shared a sizeable chunk of the discussion. 

Talking about her further chance in the ongoing Olympics, Phelps said, “You know this race, I think, will be something that she’ll put behind her and really start to generate that focus towards the upcoming races.” And when it came to discussing her upcoming races, the Baltimore Bullet claimed, “She’s the most decorated female Olympian right? So, you know, she’s setting records every single day. And you know, she’s coming into her bread and butter events right?” That puts a stamp on the legend’s belief in Katie Ledecky. So, now, after all her struggle and effort, the 21-time world champion can say that her almost 20-year-long relationship has not gone unnoticed. Let that fact boost her in her upcoming contests.