It’s been 13 years since Katie Ledecky has lost a 1,500-meter freestyle race. And that’s just one of many reasons why the 27-year-old swimmer is one of the greatest athletes of all time. She also has 10 Olympic medals, 21 World Championship titles, and has broken 16 world records. In her new memoir, Just Add Water: My Swimming Life, released on June 4, Ledecky looks back at her unbelievable career and contemplates what comes next. Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she is predicted to dominate every freestyle race, Ledecky talks with ELLE.com about the book, competing in her fourth Olympic Games, and ignoring those sports reporters who called her “the female Michael Phelps.”
On returning to the Olympics
I never dreamed I’d make it here, to my fourth Olympic Games. The first time I competed in the Olympics was back in 2012, when I was just 15 years old. Everything since then has been a cherry on top. I never imagined I’d accomplish one-tenth of everything I’ve been able to do.
Why she doesn’t take things too seriously
Sometimes people get so caught up in the intensity of sports, or the fandom. And some people get super disappointed with their own performances or with the performance of the team they care about. People take things a little too seriously, whether you’re an athlete or a fan of the sport. And I totally get that. I can be intense, focused, and dedicated, too. I really do care so much about what I do. But I always try to remember where I came from. I think back to my six-year-old self who swam for the Palisades Porpoises. She started out in the sport for fun.
The unexpected camaraderie of swimming
Swimming is often seen by the public and the media as a very individual sport, and in many ways, it is. You’re in control of the time you put up for a race. You’re also the only one in your lane for your individual races, but what I’ve experienced going to the Olympics is a camaraderie. There is a real power that we have as a team.
There are so many instances behind the scenes where we’re supportive of one another. In many ways, the U.S. Olympic trials are tougher than the actual Olympics, because swimming in the United States can be so competitive. Once you make the team, there’s a level of appreciation that you have for each other. We all just want the best for each other. I’ve been really lucky to experience that team side of the sport. I have really great people around me.
How she bonds with other athletes at the Olympics
The Olympics are also a great opportunity to understand athletes from other countries and get to know each other on a deeper level. The Olympic Village is kind of a bubble for two weeks. It’s every sport, every country. So you see race walkers walking around fast, and you’re dodging them. In the cafeteria, everyone is preparing to go off to their respective competitions. It’s neat to be a part of something where everyone comes together and recognizes that, yes, there are differences in cultures and differences between our sports, but at the end of the day, this is a large group of high-achieving people that are representing the places they love to the best of their ability. We all take a lot of pride in that.
What she thinks about those Michael Phelps comparisons
Michael Phelps is the greatest of all time in our sport, and he’s someone that a lot of young swimmers, including myself, look up to. He was the top athlete at all the Olympic Games I grew up watching on television. Then, at the first two Olympic Games I competed in, we were teammates. I’m from Maryland, which he is, too. So we had this connection not everyone else did. He was competing at a level I never thought I’d make it to. He inspired me.
I’m appreciative of all he’s done for the sport. And I’m honored by the comparisons to him, but I don’t think too much of them. Certainly, I do want to pave my own way, and I’m focused on my own goals. I think every swimmer from the U.S. that has potential to win multiple gold medals will be compared to Michael Phelps.
On the double standards female athletes face
I’ve always gotten questions about how I’ve been able to achieve what I’ve achieved. Would a male swimmer get asked that same question? Female athletes get asked things all the time that male athletes just don’t get asked. What matters most to me are my own goals. I’m very focused on sticking to my goals. I don’t let other people set the expectation of what I want to achieve.
This essay has been lightly edited and condensed for clarity.
