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When it comes to the best swimmers in the world, Michael Phelps is the first name that pops to mind. Similarly, when it comes to being the greatest-ever female swimmer, Katie Ledecky seals the top spot with seven gold and three silver medals at the Olympics so far.
In addition to the Olympics, Ledecky has won 14 World Championships individual gold medals, which is the highest tally for any female swimmer. She even has her name in the Guinness Book of World Records for women's 800-meter, and 1500-meter freestyle (long course).
Katie Ledecky’s take on Michael Phelps and his words of encouragement
With his recent induction into the US Olympic and Paralympic Hall of Fame, Michael Phelps is one of the greatest swimmers alive with 28 Olympic medals to his name.
In an interview with PureWow that took place way back in August of 2021 after the 2020 Summer Olympics, Katie Ledecky talked about how the former American competitive swimmer inspired her to give her best shot at training.
Ledecky revealed that Michael Phelps is always ready to give advice, not just to her, but to all fellow competitive swimmers. She gushed about how he encourages her and said:
“Michael is a good friend and a really great supporter and is always willing to give advice to me or any swimmer. He always talks about controlling what you can control and encourages me in all of my training.”
In her interview, Ledecky revealed a crucial aspect when it comes to tournaments – that it is not always about winning. She talked about how one should prioritize having fun rather than just focusing on breaking records and said:
“I think that's the biggest thing is to really just enjoy the journey and enjoy the process, which is something that I feel like I’ve really done over the past several years during my international career. We need to not solely focus on the end result or winning medals or breaking records. Just enjoying the day-to-day with your coaches and teammates and all of the people that help you get to that point.”
Katie also talked about how she mentally prepares herself before the race starts. She explained:
“I just always try to remind myself of all of the work I put in... I think back to some specific workouts or some things I've done in training that give me the confidence behind the blocks and gives me the energy to know that I’m ready for that race and be my best on that given day.”
