Stay updated on our Olympic coverage leading up to the Paris Games.
In April, Bruce Gemmell got a call from someone who had a profound impact on his life over a decade ago. They regularly text, so hearing from her wasn’t unusual. But what she asked him made him chuckle.
Katie Ledecky’s first question was classic Katie: “Hey, I’m coming home to Maryland for a few days in May. Can I train with you?”
Her old swim coach readily agreed.
Then she added: “Oh, by the way, when I’m home, I’m going to the White House to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom. I was wondering if you’d like to come as my guest. I don’t want to impose or anything.”
“She really said it that way,” Gemmell chuckled. “I said, ‘Yes, of course, I would love to go.'”
He anticipated meeting President Joe Biden would be the highlight of the day; Gemmell is from Delaware, and his wife once interned for Senator Biden. It seemed like a nice full-circle moment.
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However, Gemmell found something else remarkable, something deeply meaningful to the man who coached the most dominant female swimmer in the sport’s history during her peak, from after the London Olympics through the Rio Games. He began working with her when she was a quiet and shy 15-year-old.
He observed 27-year-old Katie Ledecky effortlessly engage with people from various backgrounds and take photos with those who asked for them.
“In my opinion, she was the highlight of the event—maybe tied with Nancy Pelosi,” Gemmell remarked. “It was truly a testament to her growth from the somewhat awkward, socially awkward 15-year-old who burst onto the scene in London to win an Olympic gold medal.”
“Seeing her transformation from 15 to 27, confidently navigating a room filled with powerful politicians and dignitaries, warms my heart. During this same period, my daughter has transformed from a young child to someone now traveling the world to swim meets with Katie Ledecky.”
Gemmell’s daughter, Erin, who was just 7 when Ledecky started training with her father, is now on the U.S. Olympic team with her. The little girl who once dressed up as Katie Ledecky for Halloween qualified for the women’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay. Erin, now 19, secured her spot by finishing fourth in the 200-meter freestyle event in Indianapolis— the top four finishers auto-qualify. As Erin confirmed her first Olympic team placement while looking at the video board, Ledecky swam over two lanes to embrace her with a smile.
Now, that is a full-circle moment.
“She’s had a significant impact,” Erin stated. “If it weren’t for her, I wouldn’t be here. It’s truly special to be so close to someone so inspirational, witnessing the daily dedication they put in. It makes success seem attainable, being in such proximity—it humanizes them.”
When Erin first met Ledecky, she was “terrified” and considered herself “definitely an annoying child.” She was surprised by Ledecky’s kindness and warmth towards her. While Erin’s older brother, Andrew, and her father have Olympic experiences, Erin is grateful to share the Paris Olympics preparation with Ledecky.
Her father, Gemmell, also feels fortunate. Erin doesn’t send updates or photos from training camps—Team USA trained in North Carolina and later in Croatia—but Ledecky shares selfies of the two. Ledecky is not just Erin’s role model; she’s like an older sister to her. Ledecky handles parent updates, while Erin focuses on nail art.
“Katie is among the best swimmers, potentially the greatest female ever,” Bruce Gemmell remarked. “But her personal qualities are on a whole other level. I say that affectionately… with tears in my eyes.”
Ledecky has always recognized her power and influence. Her quiet and reserved nature for so long reflected her personality and intentional image projection. She’s a serious individual with ambitious goals she has spent her career pursuing. Yet, she’s far from the finish line. Ledecky intends to compete at age 31 in the Los Angeles Olympics, her fifth Games.
Now, as the Paris Games draw near, she acknowledges her veteran status on the national team. The women’s team includes two 17-year-olds (Alex Shackell, Claire Weinstein), an 18-year-old (Katie Grimes, who qualified in the 400- and 1,500-meter freestyle and open-water events), and Erin. The average age of the women’s team is 22.1 years old.
Ledecky is also one of the most accomplished female Olympians, with seven gold medals. In Paris, she is positioned to surpass gymnast Larisa Latynina’s record of nine gold medals for the Soviet Union in the 1950s and ’60s. Expectations are high for Ledecky in the 800- and 1,500-meter freestyle events. To break the record, a win in either the 4×200-meter freestyle relay or the 400-meter freestyle is necessary—the favorites being Australia and competitors like Ariarne Titmus and Summer McIntosh.
At the peak of her career in Rio de Janeiro, Ledecky even triumphed in shorter events like the 200 freestyle. Recovery at 19 looked different. However, Ledecky doesn’t view anything less than silver or gold as a disappointment. She values the process and her consistent performance.
“Consistency is something I take pride in,” Ledecky noted. “I challenge myself to maintain consistency. It can be tough not experiencing a breakthrough at times. However, I’m really pleased with my consistency. I’ve learned to enjoy each day of training, cherish every moment, and appreciate my long career, staying injury-free, mostly healthy, and able to compete for this many years.”
Ledecky has embraced her role as a veteran of the sport. She seeks out young athletes like Erin to celebrate with. Her favorite message to first-time Olympians is the same one she received from her first coach, Yuri Suguiyama, before London in 2012. He told her she deserved to be on that team, that she had earned it and belonged there. Ledecky shares the same message with her younger teammates: they belong.
Ledecky remembers being young and infatuated with swimming, uncertain where it might lead. She understands that wonder and knows some teammates might feel intimidated sharing a roster with her. Yet, she remains grounded. She paints her nails in red, white, and blue. She sends selfies, commemorating both small and large moments. That’s how she reached this point, on the cusp of achieving even greater history.
“I never imagined it as a young child, just making it to the Olympics,” Ledecky reflected. “After London… I wanted to return to that level to prove I wasn’t a one-hit wonder. But simultaneously, I reminded myself that anything above that was like icing on the cake, an added bonus. I never envisaged reaching that one Olympics.”
“This perspective has helped me remain focused and derive immense joy from the sport, enjoying my teammates and those around me as I do it.”
GO DEEPER
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(Top illustration: Eamonn Dalton / The Athletic; photo of Katie Ledecky: Al Bello / Getty Images)