Katie Ledecky is an American competitive swimmer and Olympic gold medalist. The Washington, D.C. native began swimming at the young age of six because of her older brother. After realizing her natural ability in the water, Ledecky graduated from Stone Ridge High School already setting swimming records. After successfully accomplishing her swimming goals in Maryland, Ledecky set her eyes on the Olympics. Ledecky put it in time, dedication and while it wasn’t easy for her, she may have used these steps to get the gold. At the 2012 London Games, Ledecky unexpectedly won the gold medal in the women’s 800-meter freestyle and instantly became a household Olympic name. She successfully defended her 2012 gold and lowered the world record time by 4.79 seconds. “I’m just so happy,” Ledecky said to reporters after the race. “I’ve just had a lot of fun this week not only in the pool but just with my teammates. The memories mean more than the medals to me here.” In her swimming career thus far, she has earned 20 medals (19 gold and 1 silver) amongst her swimming span in the Summer Olympics, the World Championships, and the Pan Pacific Championships. She has broken thirteen world records; not a bad accomplishment for a 19 year old.