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For many Olympians, even those who stand on the gold-medal podium, competing and winning, however satisfying, has proven to be less important than their relationship with God.
No one can say for certain if swimming superstar Katie Ledecky will win a fistful of medals at the Paris Olympics. But she will surely pray before her races, do charitable works after the Games and continue to hold her Catholic faith close to her heart.
Her strong faith and humility are the cornerstones of her character, the nun who was her grade-school principal at Little Flower School in Bethesda, Maryland, told Catholic News Agency. Ledecky burst onto the scene by unexpectedly winning a gold medal as a 15-year-old at the 2012 London Games and has since won six other gold medals. She prays before events, has advocated for refugees and serves meals to the homeless.
Ledecky told the Register in 2016 that she often prays a Hail Mary before her races: “It gives me peace knowing I’m in good hands.”
“I think our devotion to Mary is very beautiful,” Ledecky added. “She has a sacred role in Catholicism, and her strong faith and humility are things we can learn from.”
Faith is her anchor.
“I think the beauty of Catholicism is its consistency through both successes and difficulties,” she said in 2016. “I’ve counted on my faith to give me strength through both training and competition — but also in school, with my family and everyday life. So while my goals in the pool have changed, my faith remains something that’s consistent and something I can always rely on.”
Ledecky is one of more than 100 U.S. athletes competing in Paris who are Catholic or attended Catholic schools — among the more than 10,000 athletes from 206 countries expected to compete in 32 different sports through Aug. 11.