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Faster, faster, faster. She was going to win. Almost there. And she did it, she had broken the world record. Katie Ledecky is an astonishing Olympic swimmer; besides that, she has crushed world records and humbled champions. Ledecky has competed in the London 2012, Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024 Olympics; following this, she is currently the most decorated woman athlete in the history of the Olympic games. Ledecky swam hard as a child, rose to fame as she competed in her first Olympics, and has left a lasting legacy.

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Ledecky’s childhood gave her a love for the water and let her achieve incredible goals. Born on March 17, 1997, in Washington D.C., young Ledecky got into competitive  swimming at age six. She started swimming at the Palisades Swim & Tennis Club in Bethesda, Maryland, where she grew up (Maryland Women’s Hall of Fame). Besides swimming, she also got into Irish dancing and basketball. In 2011, when she was only fourteen, her times in the pool were good enough to earn her a spot in the 2012 Olympic trials. Ledecky raced well and placed first in the 800-meter; as a result, she had made the Olympic team and was the youngest person on it (Buckley Jr. 4-13). When Ledecky was a child, she learned to love the water and accomplished great things because of it.

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Ledecky rose to fame as she took home gold from several Olympics. At the 2012 London Olympics, Ledecky placed first in the 800-meter and won gold. She had started off strong and held on to her fast pace. In 2013, she set world records in the 800- and 1500-meter races. Again in 2016, Ledecky was off to make history at the 2016 Olympics. They were being held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. There, she won four gold medals and one silver. Shortly afterwards, COVID-19 hit the world. Ledecky still found time to swim and trained mostly in her friend's backyard pool. Even though the Olympics were canceled in 2020, they were held one year later in 2021. Ledecky was ready for the trials, and easily made the Olympic team. The Olympics were held in Tokyo, Japan, and Ledecky did well in all her events. She won two gold and two silver medals (Buckley Jr. 12-44). Ledecky won several events at the Olympics and rose to fame because of it.

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Ledecky left a lasting legacy on the world from all her great accomplishments. She has broken 16 world records and 37 national records. She holds records in the 800- and 1500-meter freestyle –“a competition in which any of the standard strokes may be used according to the swimmer's choice” (Dictionary.com)–. Following this, Ledecky is also the most decorated woman in the history of the Olympic games with fourteen medals. Over four Olympic games (Britannica), she has won nine gold, four silver, and one bronze medal (Leading Authorities). Besides that, in 2024, she was awarded with the Medal of Freedom. It is the highest civilian honor in the United Sates (Olympics.com). In addition, Ledecky has also written a memoir about herself titled Just Add Water. It talks about her journey to become one of the greatest athletes of all time (cbsnews.com). Ledecky’s fame hasn’t ended quite yet, as she leaves a legacy.

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While Ledecky learned to love water as a child and rose to fame swimming for gold, she left a lasting legacy. She started her swimming career at a young age and made it to the Olympics shortly afterwards. At the Olympics, she was very successful in breaking records and winning gold. Therefore, with all her great accomplishments, Ledecky was very influential on the world today. Her gold medals and the records she has broken prove her hard work. Ledecky’s life proves that hard work leads to great success.