Katie Ledecky is making headlines on a daily basis right now in Rio, and for good reason. She might only be 19, but she is a superstar in our lives. She’s a swimmer. She’s a champion, and she’s a go-getter. She’s not afraid at all to be who she is, and she’s not at all intimated by the fact that she’s among the younger competitors in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. She’s good at what she does, and she’s not afraid to be the best of the best. She’s funny, she’s young and she’s got her entire life ahead of her. We have a kind of crush on her, and we all hope that our daughters grow up to be as driven, successful and talented as Katie Ledecky – what with her infectious smile and her good nature. It makes us want to know everything about her.
She was the second fastest at 15
When she was only 15-years-old, Katie Ledecky made a visit to the Olympic games in 2012 in London. She was good, but people didn’t really know if she would win or not. Imagine the world’s surprise when she actually almost broke a world record in the 800-meter freestyle. She won the gold medal, and she had the second fastest time ever recorded in the history of the event. She was only 15. Can we say enough how much that impresses us?
She’s breaking records everywhere
Before she made it to Rio and won some gold medals already, she was actually one of the most successful young swimmers in the world. She had already broken 11 world records before she went into the Rio Olympics, and she gained a 12th world record while she was there. She’s not done yet, either. what that means for us is that we will probably see her do more and more as she continues to impress us with her exceptional success.
She’s the youngest person on Time’s Time 100 List
In 2016, Katie Ledecky was honored with a spot on this coveted list, and she’s proud of it. Of course, it’s not what she works so hard for every single day, but it does seem like a nice bit of recognition when she’s able to finally make her way into the world of real adulthood someday. She was the youngest person to make it onto the list in 2016, and that is quite an accomplishment.
Her mom is a good swimmer, too
When she was in college, Katie Ledecky’s mother was a championship swimmer, too. She was someone who loved the pool, loved to swim and was quite good at it. She was coached by a former Olympian and she was good at what she does. It might explain why both her son and daughter took up swimming when they were children, though it’s her daughter who is so good at the sport that she is one of the most famous faces in the world thanks to her many accomplishments.
She began swimming at 6
A lot of the people who compete in the Olympics actually get their start in their respective sport when they are quite young, but not all of them. Katie Ledecky was not in the pool swimming when she was 2 or anything like that. She actually began when she was 6 and she wanted to follow in the footsteps of her older brother, who really did enjoy swimming.
She loves Michael Phelps
When she was just a child, Katie Ledeck was able to meet Michael Phelps when he was autographing some things near her home. She was only 9 when she met him, and she was so impressed by his swimming career that she was certain she wanted to do the same thing. Little did she know that she would eventually be hanging out with him at the actual Olympics when she was competing as a swimmer, too. Now they’re fast friends.
She was on the Today Show at 1
She might not remember it, and she might not have been a guest, but she was on the show when she was only 1. She was part of the audience with her mother when Al Roker came up to talk to them as they stood outside the studios and were so excited to spend time with the famous faces of so many people’s favorite early morning show.
She’s also met Michael Jordan
She was once able to meet the man who might arguably be the best basketball player in the history of the game. She was only a toddler when she met him, but she knew enough to be quite impressed. She knows that she wants to be good at what she does, and she knows when someone else is good at their sport. She’s met some impressive men in the athletic world, and now she’s among them in the category as the best of the best.
She’s not making any money
At the moment, Katie Ledecky is skipping out on millions of dollars. She is not making any money this year as she is going to Stanford in the fall. When you go to college, you cannot take any paid endorsements during the games. She wants to swim in college, so she can’t do it professionally since she will only be a college athlete. However, her college career is important to her.
Her uncle is kind of famous
Did you know that Katie Ledecky is not the only successful and famous athletic-type in her family? Her uncle is Jon Ledecky. He owns the New York Islanders. He might not play for the hockey team, but he owns it and was able to buy it with $485 million. That’s a pretty impressive job to have if you’re not actually on the field or the ice playing with the athletes. Apparently, athletics runs in the family and in their blood.
Photo by Getty Images
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