Katie Ledecky recently surprised an 8-year-old fan, whom she waved at during the Paris Olympics, after the video of the girl's reaction went viral. The swimmer showcased a wholesome gesture towards the fan while she appeared at The View.
Ledecky won a total of four medals at the 2024 Summer Games, of which two were gold, one was silver, and one was bronze. She won her fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal in the 800m freestyle in Paris by posting a time of 8:11.04 and trounced Ariarne Titmus and Paige Madden, who claimed second and third place, respectively.
The 27-year-old won her second gold in Paris in the 1500m freestyle, where she broke her own Olympic record and posted a time of 15:30.02. This is the event where the Olympian waved at her 8-year-old fan in the stands, and the latter's reaction went viral on the internet.
Days after this sweet incident, the swimmer surprised the little girl, who is also a competitive swimmer, in an episode of the American talk show 'The View'.
Katie Ledecky met the 8-year-old, surprising her on the show, with the two later talking about their favorite events. The American swimmer also made the girl put on her Olympic gold medal. Here is the video of the wholesome surprise by Ledecky.
Katie Ledecky opens up about her goal to inspire young swimmers
In a recent interview with CBS Mornings, Katie Ledecky opened up about her thoughts on inspiring young swimmers, drawing from her own experience. She revealed that she met Michael Phelps when she was just 6 years old. She recalled witnessing him perform at the London Olympics and getting a high five from the legendary swimmer. She opened up about how it inspired her. (as quoted by CBS News)
"I got a high-five from him in the ready room when I was 15 at the Olympics in London and at that moment I just flashed back immediately to looking up at him, getting his autograph, that made such an impact on me," Katie Ledecky said.
She added:
"I hope that in the future and maybe even today people can say, 'Oh she swims like Katie Ledecky,' or 'She has Katie's stroke.'"
In the same interview, the Olympic champion also opened up about her plans for the 2028 LA Olympics. She said:
"I would love to swim in LA. I think an Olympics in the United States, it's a unique opportunity. Not every athlete gets to compete in an Olympics on home soil."
Katie Ledecky now has a total of 14 Olympic medals, of which nine are gold, four are silver, and one is bronze. She has participated in four editions of the event, including the 2012 London Games, 2016 Rio Games, 2020 Tokyo Games, and the 2024 Paris Games.