CORRECTION: The original version of this article included the incorrect spelling of Caroline Dunlap. Elon News Network regrets this error.
From making her Olympic debut at age 15 to holding the most gold medals of a female swimmer in the world, Katie Ledecky shared her story and wisdom with audiences at Elon University during Fall Convocation on Sept. 26.
Ledecky has competed in four Olympic Games and holds 14 total medals and 17 world records.
Ledecky took audiences through her history, from starting swimming at age 6 all the way through her recent experiences in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Ledecky said the water has always felt like the right place for her.
“I loved the individual nature of the sport, but also the team aspects and the ability to set goals for myself and work toward them, and just felt at home in the water,” Ledecky said in an interview with Elon News Network prior to the event.
When she began swimming, Ledecky said she never imagined she would make it as far as she has.
“I thought you had to be some superhero or whatever, to be able to wear the cool suits that they would wear the Olympics and the stars and stripes and that USA cap,” Ledecky said during the event. “I just incrementally set bigger and bigger goals for myself to the point that I was at the Olympics with some of the swimmers that I looked up to for many, many years.”
Ledecky said both her Olympic debut in London in 2012 as a 15-year-old and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics during the COVID-19 pandemic helped her realize the importance of support systems.
“I always feel a lot of cheers when I'm off competing internationally, whether it's those people actually in the stands cheering me on,” Ledecky said in an interview with Elon News Network. ”Just knowing that they're back home watching on TV and yelling at the TV; that means a lot to me as well.”
Olympic Gold medalist, Katie Ledecky speaks with Elon alum Zora Stephenson '15 in Schar Center on Sept. 26. Ledecky took audiences through her history, from starting swimming at age 6 all the way through her recent experiences in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
During the Tokyo Olympics, Ledecky said the protocols did not allow any spectators at events. She said this showed her that she could lean on her support systems from afar, something she thought a lot of college students could understand since they don’t have their families around all the time.
Ledecky said this especially came in handy during one of her longer races in Tokyo.
“I thought about my grandparents, and specifically my two grandmothers that I knew were back home watching on TV in the US,” Ledecky said during the event. “They’re in their 80s, 90s, and I just thought about how much joy I know watching swimming and watching me compete at that level brings up, and it really brought me a lot of joy and happiness in return.”
In terms of training, Ledecky said she swims 9-10 times a week and works out in the gym five days a week. Beyond training physically, Ledecky said proper recovery is important to her.
“All the hours outside of the training, I think, are just as important. The recovery, the eating well, sleeping well, all those things that I try to do to support that training and also keep my life balanced,” Ledecky said in an interview with Elon News Network.
She said her goals are what keep her motivated to keep going even when she faces challenges.
“I know that there are going to be good days and they're going to be bad days, whether that's with training or racing or just anything,” Ledecky said in an interview with Elon News Network. “There could be little roadblocks along the way, but I think trusting the process, trusting my coaches, trusting myself at times, I think those have been the biggest things.”
10-year-old Caroline Dunlap came to the Schar Center wearing her swim team shirt with her family and friends from Lenoir, North Carolina, to see Ledecky speak.
“I thought she was really cool, and all my friends were going, and I just thought it would be a fun experience,” Dunlap said.
Elon freshman Leanna Tunney said she enjoyed hearing Ledecky talk, especially about the importance of family and finding home anywhere.
“As someone who has experienced swimming in the past, I felt like it was really moving, and I could really relate to a lot of what she was saying,” Tunney said.
Ledecky said she is working toward competing in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
“I am really excited about the fact that the Olympics are going to be in Los Angeles, on US soil,” Ledecky said in an interview with Elon News Network. “Not every Olympic athlete gets that opportunity, so it's really motivating every day in training thinking about that goal.”
Fiona McAllister contributed to the reporting of this story