Katie Ledecky gives a sneak peek into her upcoming book, travels down memory lane remembering the most meaningful swims that shaped her career

Katie Ledecky reminisced about the first time she swam in an international pool in the Czech Republic in 2017. Announcing the release of her new book, Just Add Water, the seven-time Olympic gold medalist recalled the incident that gave a head-start to her international swimming career.

Katie Ledecky, 27, holds the world record in the 800m and 1500m freestyle, having achieved both short course and long course titles. At the 2023 World Aquatics Championships, her 16 medal count surpassed that of Michael Phelps, the greatest Olympian of all time.

Having made her international debut at the 2012 London Olympics, Ledecky took her social media followers back to 2007, when she first stepped into an international pool, the event that forged a successful career path.

Taking to her Instagram handle, Katie Ledecky posted photos of her trip to the Czech Republic with her family in 2007. It was her grandfather's 80th birthday and also her debut in an international pool, a chance arranged by her grandmother in Prague.

Ledecky paired the photos with a heartfelt caption, extending gratitude to her grandmother for contributing to her international swimming successes.

"The first time I swam in an international pool was in 2007 when I spent time with my family in the Czech Republic for my grandpa’s 80th birthday. Even though I was just 10 years old, my grandma’s big effort to locate pool time for me in Prague put me on the right path in international swimming."

Just Add Water, a memoir by Katie Ledecky, will talk about her illustrious swimming career, from the time she first played sharks and minnows, discovering her love for swimming, making her Olympic debut at 15, and eventually adding multiple wins to her repertoire.

It also details how she persevered in a sport that decides fate based on milliseconds. Notably, the release date of the book is June 11, 2024.

Katie Ledecky is ready to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics

The 2024 Paris Olympics would be Ledecky's fourth Olympiad in a row. In her debut in 2012, she unexpectedly won the 800m freestyle. But in her second appearance at the 2016 Rio Olympics, she emerged as the most decorated, walking home with two world records, four golds and one silver. A similar trajectory was seen at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

In an interview with All Things Considered host Juana Summers, the 21-time world championship gold medalist announced that she's ready and excited for the Paris Olympics.

"I'm ready. We have our Olympic trials in about a month now. So that's what I'm gearing up for, I have one more meet before then. So everything is tracking well, my training is going well. And I'm really excited for hopefully the opportunity to represent the U.S. at a fourth Olympics."

The 2024 US Olympic Swimming trials will take place on June 15-23. Lucas Oil Stadium will host the event.

Edited by Vaishnavi Iyer