Just Add Water cover art

Just Add Water

My Swimming Life

 Preview

Get 30 days of Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30-day free trial. Cancel monthly.
Try for £0.00
More purchase options
Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

About this listen

 A New York Times bestselling memoir from Olympic gold medalist, world champion, and the most decorated US female Olympian in history: Katie Ledecky.

Katie Ledecky has won more individual Olympic races than any female swimmer in history. She is a four-time Olympian, a nine-time gold medalist, a twenty-one-time world champion, eight-time NCAA Champion, and a world record-holder in individual swimming events. At the 2024 Olympics in Paris, she became the most decorated US female Olympian of all time. Time and again, the question is posed to her family, her coaches, and to her—what makes her a champion? Now, for the first time, she shares what it takes to compete at an elite level.

Again and again, Ledecky has broken records: those of others and, increasingly, her own. She is both consistent and innovative—consistent at setting goals and shattering them, and innovative in the way she approaches her training. A true competitor, she sets her goals by choosing the ones that feel the scariest. But, crucially, she never sacrifices the joy of competition, even in the face of adversity. Her positive mental outlook and a great support system provides the springboard to her success.

Just Add Water charts Ledecky’s life in swimming. It details her start in Bethesda, Maryland, where she played sharks and minnows and first discovered the joy of the pool; her early foray into the Olympics at the tender age of fifteen where, as the youngest member of the American team, she stunned everyone by winning her first gold medal; her time balancing competition and her education at Stanford University; how she developed a champion’s mindset that has allowed her to persevere through so many meets, even under intense pressure; and how she has maintained her dominance in a sport where success depends on milliseconds. You learn how every element of her life—from the support of her family to the tutelage of her coaches, from her childhood spent in summer league swimming to the bright lights of Olympic pools in London, Rio, and Tokyo—set her up to become the champion she is.

In the end, Katie’s story is about testing yourself against the difficult, and seeing who you become on the other side. Olympics & Paralympics Personal Development Personal Success Water Sports Women Sports Swimming

Critic reviews

"Olympic swimming star Katie Ledecky narrates her own work, recounting her time in pools ranging from the East Coast (she grew up in Bethesda, Maryland) to the West (she attended Stanford) and across the globe (she has competed in four Olympics)...Her genuine tone and general likability remain endearing even if the listener isn’t a fan of competitive swimming. Ledecky’s story is a pleasant and honest one worth hearing."
All stars
Most relevant
A study on how to be the greatest athlete in your sport, but really how to be a truly good person.

Such an incredible person! Truly inspirational.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Katie Ledecky does seem to be the perfect athlete. She is always on top of her training, delivers in races, hardly gets injured and seems to have no mental issues. She writes generously about her relatives and had a happy and secure childhood. You can't help liking her. She also narrates very well herself. Elite swimming is clearly a very tough discipline and she gets it done. This woman can do no wrong!

Focus and dedication

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.