U.S. Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky said she was “inspired” to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in May. Ledecky is hopeful that inspiration will continue into competition next month as she returns to the pool for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
In a wide-ranging interview Monday morning with Stephanie Gosk on NBC’s “TODAY” show, Ledecky — whose autobiography, “Just Add Water: My Swimming Life,” comes out tomorrow — acknowledged that although she could make history as the most decorated female swimmer in Olympic history, she’s not focused on records.
“I never thought that I would even make one Olympics when I first started swimming, let alone have the opportunity to go into a fourth,” said Ledecky, who won her first medal at age 15. “So that part is mind-blowing to me. But at the same time, I don’t really focus on the history stuff or medal counts. I’m very focused on each individual swim, and moreso times than places.”
Read more (via NBC News)