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.
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WATCH HEREThe 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.
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SIGN UP "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?
