The 2028 Summer Olympics are a couple of years away, but Katie Ledecky is ready to dive in.
It should come as no surprise that the 14-time Olympic medalist follows a well-balanced, healthy lifestyle to support spending 30 hours a week in the pool.
“Eating well, sleeping well, recovering in between workouts, all those things are really important,” the 28-year-old world-champion swimmer told The Post. “So, a pretty holistic outlook on things.”
She even has a strict routine at the grocery store, following one popular tip for healthy shopping she got from her mom.
“Staying on the outside of the grocery store, so getting the produce, the whole grains, some good snack options, I focus on things that I can prep easily,” she said.
Adding nutritional staples and “non-negotiables” like eggs to her cart, Ledecky says her shopping trips are easy because of the prep she does beforehand.
“I’m pretty quick when I go to the grocery store, because I know what I want, I know what I need, and I can think about my week ahead,” she explained.
Whether getting back from a long day of training or travel, she knows she can count on that preparation for whatever situation.
“If I know I’m going to be getting in really late somewhere, or there aren’t going to be a lot of options, maybe that means I’m packing a snack or finding something nearby that’s going to be easy,” she said. “I think I just try to plan ahead so that I’m not surprised by anything, and I can expect the unexpected in a way.”
Ledecky believes that taking the time to write up your grocery list or workout is worth it, whether you’re training for a world swim meet or just getting through a day at the office.
“We all have busy lives and different things that we want to achieve throughout the day,” she added. “I think planning things out and making sure that you’re eating throughout the day, it goes a long way and can fuel your day.”
Since making her Olympic debut in 2012 at the age of 15, Ledecky has continued her swimming dominance and became the most decorated American female Olympian in history at the 2024 Paris Games.
“I try to just be really consistent with how I’m training and how I’m preparing,” Ledecky noted. “I treat every competition like it’s the Olympics, in a way,”
And to perform her best in the pool, she knows she needs the best nutrition outside of it.
She even goes so far as to make sure she eats the same food when traveling internationally.
“You don’t have to be training for gold to fuel like a champion,” Ledecky said. “If you know you’re planning on hitting the gym, have a long day at work, or if you’re… trying to be more energized throughout the day, I think starting with better food choices is key.”
She has found that consuming a balanced diet goes hand in hand with regular training for upcoming meets, including the next summer Olympics, in LA.
“Getting enough protein and nutrients, which I’m able to get with the eggs and then carbohydrates as well, getting my fruits and vegetables and just hydrating well,” the nine-time Olympic gold medalist shared.
And no matter the day or the race, Ledecky can always rely on her consistency with nutrition and training to feel prepared — along with one other habit.
“I’m someone that’s always journaled, so I have all these notebooks that I can look back on,” she said. “I think those really helped me feel confident, and helped me feel prepared, along with all those consistent habits over the training season and over the year.”
That consistency carries her through even the most nerve-wracking moments right before she takes her first leap.
“If I can feel like I’ve done everything possible to be ready for that moment, I will feel confident and relaxed behind the block,” Ledecky said. “The nerves will always be there, but I get really excited with those nerves because I can remind myself that I I’m as prepared as I can be for that moment.”
