Here are five things to know about the legend who many consider to be the best female swimmer of all time.
This is a moment one young fan will never forget.
Fresh off her dominating performance in the women's 1500m freestyle — not only doing it in Olympic-record time, but also tying multiple medal records in the process — Team USA's Katie Ledecky smiled and waved as she walked from the pool.
As she was walking, she glanced into the crowd and gave a wave. That's all it took for one girl in attendance to become a lifelong fan.
The young Team USA fan was cheering loudly for the Olympic icon, then her excitement went to the next level when she saw Ledecky wave to her.
"She waved at me!" the girl could be seen shrieking in delight.
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She continued to shout and cheer until it appeared that it all became too much for her to process, and she had to sit down to take a breath.
That's what we call inspiring the next generation. And who knows, maybe the fan will be able to inspire a fan of her own someday — perhaps in the 2036 games?
