“I never pictured myself being in this position.”
As a result, competing on the world stage isn’t something she takes for granted.
She couldn’t swim and the trip almost took a fatal turn as a result.
“My mom was a swimmer growing up.
“That’s kind of when I started thinking, ‘I really like swimming.
I’m going to not risk playing other sports,” she informedESPN.
To say her sudden lapse was unexpected would be an understatement.
Katie Ledecky knows this all too well.
When she attended her first Olympic Games as a teenager, she didn’t feel any pressure.
“Being an underdog gave me space to concentrate on my own game.
“[I felt] zero pressure.
No eyes were on me.
No one was sweating me to deliver anything but my best effort.
Not even my folks.”
But I understand it,” Ledecky shared in a press conference (via Sports Illustrated).
“I’m really tough on myself,” she added.
She did, however, concede that this tough mindset is what helps her win time and time again.
If you’ve never heard of it before, you’re definitely not alone.
POTS is an autonomic nervous system disorder that affects blood pressure and heart rate.
Ledecky detailed it as: “I pool blood in the vessels below my heart when I stand.
Which, in turn, brings on dizziness, fainting, and exhaustion.”
Ledecky focused on their resolve while getting ready for her next race.
Looking back, it’s no surprise she emerged the winner in the 1500-meter race that followed.
That trait seems to run in the family.
