didn鈥檛 dream of becoming an Olympian as a kid. It was just something she and her brother, Michael, did at a pool in Maryland that she describes as 鈥渕aximum chill.鈥� The lack of pressure was part of what drove her deep enjoyment of the sport from an early age, and, consequently, her eye-popping success in the years that followed. This is the story that forms the basis of Ledecky鈥檚 memoir, 鈥淛ust Add Water: My Swimming Life.鈥�
Fifteen years old and in London, Ledecky became the youngest athlete ever to win the women鈥檚 800-meter freestyle at the Olympics. She won six more Olympic gold medals in Rio and Tokyo and at the World Aquatics Championships. She鈥檚 widely regarded as one of the best swimmers of all time, but like many athletes, hers isn鈥檛 just a story about her elite athleticism 鈥� it鈥檚 about the people who helped her get there.
Even when Ledecky made that Olympic final in London, her parents refused to acknowledge that she might have a chance at getting a medal, let alone winning the race. They were more invested in her overall wellbeing. 鈥淔or them, it was almost like, Olympics, Schlympics,鈥� she writes.
This low-pressure attitude combined with her dogged positivity and high ambition underpins the tone of her writing: 鈥淜eeping pace with the male swimmers? Why not? Shaving time off my records? Why not? Doing something significant every time I swim? Why not?鈥� It鈥檚 clear to see how she鈥檚 maintained the mental toughness required to perform at an elite level for so long 鈥� she鈥檚 currently in training for the which would be her fourth.
She also delves into the techniques and training that elevated her swimming and led to her remarkable dominance as a distance swimmer: her discovery of the 鈥渓oping stroke鈥� that allowed her to get even faster, her right-side-only breathing that ensured she鈥檇 only ever come up for air on her good side, the progression-style training that allowed her to continue to swim extraordinarily long distances without getting injured.
Throughout it all, Ledecky鈥檚 writing pulses with her love for the pool and an appreciation for all the people that have shaped her into the champion she is 鈥� her coaches, her brother, her grandparents, and, of course, her parents. Readers will feel inspired by Ledecky鈥檚 enthusiasm and gratitude for everything she鈥檚 worked hard to achieve.
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AP book reviews:
Amelia Mcguinness, The Associated Press
