BY NR.BALOCH
Katie Ledecky discusses her goals for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and Paris with NRP
Medals are nothing new to Katie Ledecky.
She has 26 world championship medals, 21 of which are gold, and 10 Olympic medals, seven of which are gold.
She is without a doubt the greatest female swimmer of all time thanks to all of that hardware.
A who’s who of Democrats are receiving the Medal of Freedom from Biden (and Katie Ledecky)
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A who’s who of Democrats are receiving the Medal of Freedom from Biden (and Katie Ledecky)
She will, however, be given a different kind of medal on Friday: the Presidential Medal of Freedom, which is the highest honor bestowed by the American government on a civilian.
Ledecky discussed her thoughts on the July–August Olympics in Paris, the significance of the medal to her, and her motivations for speaking with Juana Summers of All Things Considered. Ledecky discussed her thoughts about the Paris Olympics in July and August, the significance of the medal to her, and her lack of plans to retire after this summer with host Juana Summers of All Things Considered.intends to stay in the workforce following this summer.
Juana Summers will be in Paris covering the Olympics for NPR. You can follow all her reporting on All Things Considered.
Highlights of the interview
Juana Summers: Okay, Katie. Does this medal fit in the same trophy cases as your Olympic medals? How are you going to use it, in your opinion?
Katie Ledecky: Oh, that is so not even on my mind! This one is undoubtedly very special and meaningful. And I could never have dreamed that I would be getting this kind of recognition. Thus, I feel quite honored.
Summers: If we may go forward, this may be yet another extraordinarily significant year for you. Let’s look ahead. In a few months, Paris will host the Summer Olympics. How are you feeling in the water these days? Do you think you’re prepared?
Ledecky: I’m prepared. Our Olympic trials are in around one month. I have one more meeting before then, so that’s what I’m preparing for. Thus, everything is proceeding according to plan, and I’m training well. Additionally, I’m really
Summers: Which Olympic event would you most like to compete in, if the trials go your way and you end up representing the United States?
Ledecky: Alright, so, hopefully I’ll be taking part in several competitions. And they’re all unique in their own ways. My favorite event to swim in the Olympics has always been the 800 free, which I competed in for the first time in 2012 and won gold in at the age of 15. I therefore have a particular place in my heart for that one. But I adore every event I have. I’m also excited for the trials that come with competing in each race.
Summers: Do you suppose these would be your last ones if you go to Paris? Do you believe you’ll return for the Los Angeles 2028 games?
Ledecky: I approach things year by year, but as of right now, I could easily see myself participating in the Olympics in my native country in 2028. It’s a really distinctive thing. Not every Olympian athlete understands it. I therefore know for a fact that I will not be retiring after this summer, and 2028 appeals to me greatly. Thus, I believe that at this time, I want to go and participate in at least one event, if not more. But once more, things can change. It’s a long way off, and for now my only concern is Paris this summer.
I believe that playing the sport has taught me a lot. And over my more than ten-year foreign trip, I’ve picked up a lot of knowledge on goal-setting, perseverance, and dedication.
It’s never too late to improve your swimming abilities. This is how to launch Life Kit.
It’s never too late to improve your swimming abilities. Here’s how you kick off summertime: Would you like to share a resilience-related lesson or anecdote with the people who look up to you?
Ledecky: Of course, one tale that I believe many Olympic athletes will share with you is about what happened to us in 2020 and 2021 when the Olympics were moved forward one year. The Olympics represent the zenith of our sport in swimming, and we create four-year programs to compete at our very best and reach our peak. It therefore took a lot of resilience for all of us to have that pushed for a year, to be kind of living under uncertainty, and to not know whether the Olympics would actually happen. We all had to adjust by training in backyard pools, doing weightlifting in our houses or apartments, and doing all those things.
That period taught me a lot about myself, including the fact that change is something you can adjust to. We weren’t experiencing the worst of it at the time, so there was another plus. I felt incredibly fortunate to have the Olympics as a target to strive for. I am aware that a great deal of people went through much worse pain at that time than we did. Those experiences, in my opinion, have strengthened me and shown me that I can adjust when things don’t turn out the way I had hoped.
Medals from the Paris Olympics will include fragments of the Eiffel Tower.
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Medals from the Paris Olympics will include fragments of the Eiffel Tower.
Summers: Katie, if Paris
Ledecky: I haven’t given it a lot of thought. Nevertheless, when I think of swimming and my career in it, I remember all the happiness I’ve experienced in the sport, everything I’ve learned from it, the people I’ve met through it, and the places I’ve been able to experience through competitive swimming. And I believe that I will always continue to play the sport because of the immense delight I’ve found in it.
Naturally, at some point in the future, my competitive career will come to an end, and I won’t be checking the time or having a coach record my times for each set.