Olympic swimming sensation Katie Ledecky has maintained her place at the top table of the sport for over a decade now. She had to outclass multiple swimming paragons in every iteration of the big event for the laurels in her possession. Interestingly, her rise to such heights began as a mere 15-year-old swimmer with bold dreams of becoming an Olympic champion.

In 2012, Katie Ledecky carved a permanent spot in the American swimming scene with her impressive timing in the pool. However, when she debuted at the international level at the London Olympics, Ledecky was pretty much an unknown teenager. After the Olympics ended, she was an outlier no more. As it turns out, the source of her biggest dream was hiding in her bathroom and still pumping her up for new glories.

Katie Ledecky’s ongoing source of inspiration

Recently, Katie Ledecky uploaded a picture on her Instagram story of her bathroom mirror, which had a memorable sticker affixed on the reflecting surface. The sticker said, “Road To London USA,” with stars and the Olympic rings adorning the text. Meanwhile, Ledecky captioned the text, “My bathroom mirror @ home”.

Her mantra, “Believe in yourself,” appeared at the bottom left corner of the story in an animated format. It was this affirmation that helped her denounce the Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington for the 800m freestyle title.

As she took her place in the impressive lineup, the commentator unceremoniously dismissed her, saying, “She’s only 15…I’m not sure she’ll know what she’s doing just yet. Rebecca Adlington is about to create history, I am sure of it.”

However, what followed would soon turn his prognosis into falsehood. Ledecky defeated the English swimmer with the second-fastest time (8min 14.63sec) in swimming history. The high-schooler was chuffed with her achievement, and when Michael Phelps “high-fived me in the ready room,” she knew she had made it. Fast-forward to 2023, Katie Ledecky is still one of the greatest female swimmers and this precious memory keeps fueling her golden ambitions for Paris.

Katie Ledecky’s 2023 campaign sets the stage for Paris Olympics

Katie Ledecky will join the ranks of Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz, and Caeleb Dressel, in 2024. The swimmer has maintained her dominance over the 1500-meter event in 2023. She clinched the 20th world title in the long-course event at the 2023 World Aquatics Championships.

“It’s an honour. I’ve known Michael for many years now, looked up to him as a little kid,” Ledecky said in a press conference after her win. “We’re both from Maryland. Just never really imagined I would be in this position. It’s always an honour to win a medal for Team USA, especially gold. Just going to keep going and continue to do my best every time I race.”

Read More: “She’s That Kind of Person”: US Olympic Gold Medalist Decodes Katie Ledecky’s Swimming Legacy

Now aged 26, Katie Ledecky still feels like the six-year-old girl who first dreamt of covering the distance of a pool in a single swim. As the 2024 Paris Olympics draws closer, Katie Ledecky will delve deeper into the surreal dream-like memory of the 2012 London Olympics.

Watch this story: Swimming Legend’s Halloween Edition: How Michael Phelps’ Childhood Friend Lightened Up His Family’s Spooky Celebration