"Just never thought I’d make it to that one Olympics"- Katie Ledecky weighs in on her illustrious career as she heads for her fourth appearance

Katie Ledecky qualified for the fourth Olympic Games of her career after delivering a dominant performance at the US Olympic Swimming Trials. She recently reflected on her glorious career and spoke about her very first Olympic selection.

Ledecky, one of the most decorated female swimmers with seven Olympic gold medals, is set to represent the US once again on the biggest stage. She became the first woman in history to claim four titles in a single Olympic swimming trial competition. The 27-year-old has qualified for the 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle events in Paris.

Katie Ledecky made her Olympic debut at the age of 15 at the 2012 London Games, where she won gold in the 800m freestyle. She trounced world champion Kate Ziegler and embarked on a notable Olympic journey. The American recently said she always wanted to prove herself and that her performance wasn't limited to her first Olympics stint.

The swimmer added that she never thought she could make it to even one Olympics and is grateful for everything beyond it. Ledecky said (as quoted by NBC4 Washington)

"I wanted to get back to that level, prove that I wasn't just a one-hit wonder," Katie Ledecky said. "At the same time, I reminded myself that anything more than that is just like icing on the cake, the cherry on top, because, I just never thought I'd make it to that one Olympics."

Katie Ledecky opens up about the mindset behind her goals

Katie Ledecky has won 10 Olympic medals and 21 World Championship medals so far. She also holds the current world record in the 800m and 1500m freestyle events and has broken the world record 16 times in her career.

The 27-year-old recently opened up about her goals and said she is never focused on competing with others.

"My goals are not to be the first person to do this, to be the first person to do that and join this person and this person as the only ones that have done this," Ledecky said. "My goals are very time focused and splits focused and technically focused."

In an interview during the swimming trials for the Paris Olympics, Ledecky spoke about her consistency, which helps her solidify her position in the sport every year. She said (via Sports Illustrated):

"I feel like I enjoy this more and more each year. I pride myself on that consistency, I challenge myself to stay consistent. I mean sometimes it can be tough feeling like you’re not having a breakthrough. But to be really consistent is something I’m really happy with."

Katie Ledecky will now be following her pursuit to lower her world record in the 800m and 1500m freestyle events at the Paris Olympics, slated to be held from July 26 - August 11.