American swimmer Katie Ledecky, who has won ten Olympic medals, including seven gold medals. was interviewed in 2016 by the National Catholic Register.
One of the questions the Register asked her was this: “Has your faith changed during these last four years, as you’ve transformed from an Olympic first-timer to one of the world’s most dominant athletes?”
Ledecky responded: “I think the beauty of Catholicism is its consistency through both successes and difficulties. I’ve counted on my faith to give me strength through both training and competition—but also in school, with my family and everyday life. So while my goals in the pool have changed, my faith remains something that’s consistent and something I can always rely on.”
Prior to going to Stanford for college, Ledecky attended a Catholic elementary school and Catholic high school in Bethesda, Md.—in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. She attend Little Flower School for elementary school and Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart for high school.
Ledecky, who is now 24-years old, has competed as a swimmer in the last three Olympics, winning a total of 10 medals, including 7 gold medals.
In the 2012 Olympics in London, she won the gold medal in the 400-meter freestyle. In the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, she won gold medals in the 200-meter freestyle, the 400-meter freestyle, 800-meter freestyle and the 4x200-meter freestyle relay. This year in Tokyo, she won gold medals in the 800-meter freestyle and the 1,500-meter freestyle and silver medals in the 400-meter freestyle and 4x200-meter freestyle relay.