Katie Ledecky Quotes

In Athens I was 17 and I didn't have any expectations. I was just swimming fast and racing everybody. I didn't have the joy after my races in 2007. I didn't want to go to Beijing. I had to for sponsors.

My experience at the 1992 Winter Olympics was my fulfillment of dreaming the Impossible Dream.

Competing in my first Olympics in the country where my parents came from is pretty insane. I'm feeling nothing but excitement.

London was my first Olympics. It was my dream to get there, and I literally had the time of my life.

When you see all the medals won by Team GB, you can just see how much it means to each and every athlete, so it just feel like it's a little bit of a missed opportunity - but I'm only 23. I have just got to get on now and keep going.

I wasn't even born when dad swam in the Olympics. I've seen videos of some of his swims, although I don't think I've ever seen him in the Olympics. He's been a massive support right through my career, and it's good to have someone so close to talk to who knows all about what it's like to compete in an Olympic Games.

My whole swimming career was about training to beat Michael Phelps in any race I possibly could.

It's amazing to know that 5 years ago I was writing songs in a basement in the ghetto and now I'm writing for Michael Jackson. I'd be a fool not to say it's a dream come true.

I started to really believe in myself, and my abilities, when I won the World Under-10 championship in Doral, Florida. I was nine and saw for the first time that I was amongst the best players in the world for my age. This was a massive confidence-builder for me.

As an athlete, my first Olympic experience was Sydney 2000. I remember seeing people getting medals, and I thought, 'Wow, that's where I want to be.'

When I participated in Rio Olympics in 2016, I failed to grab a medal. But it was a learning experience.

I've been to three Olympics. I gave it my all.

I still pinch myself when I see myself on 'Match of the Day' - it's at times like that you realise how far you've come.

I don't want my Olympic experience to be about Mike Pence. You know, I want it to be about my amazing skating and being America's sweetheart.

If I hadn't won at the Worlds and claimed so many ranking points, I would have been struggling for Rio. I'm in a good place now, though, and having the chance to fight for gold in Rio after everything I've been through would be a dream.

I have always dreamt of going to an Olympics and watching these incredible athletes and being motivated and inspired to want to be successful in my own sport.

It was unbelievable: competing in my home town at a grand prix I was watching when I was three years old. It was massive and a dream come true.

I never want to be like somebody but be my own person, but follow along those lines like a Matt Millen, Michael Strahan. There's so many players that have transitioned to being an anchor or a broadcaster, and it kind of just goes hand-in-hand.

When you are finally in space and you're finally looking back at Earth and you realize for the first time in your life there's nothing standing between you and your dream, it's just so hard to describe the profound impact of that.

I never thought about competing in the Olympic Games when I was growing up.

As a thrill in my career, the Olympics rank right up there with my two NCAA championships at Duke.

It had been a dream of mine to go to an Olympic Games since I was about seven years old. I didn't know I'd do it ski jumping, but that's how it turned out.

I have created a life for myself that I only thought was literally a dream.

To work with one of your heroes is the greatest things you can ever hope for.

One of my proudest moments was probably 2013 Worlds because I proved to myself that I could do things that I didn't think I could.