TIME Magazine just released its list of “The 30 Most Influential Teens of 2015” and the legendary Katie Ledecky has made the cut. The magazine, which releases this list annually, says it considers accolades across numerous fields, global impact through social media and overall ability to drive news.
Um, yeah, so Ledecky could check all those things off her list after just one meet – the 2015 FINA World Championships. At just 18 years old, Ledecky claimed gold medals in the 200m-400m-800m-1500m individual freestyle events, becoming the first swimmer to ever win four individual freestyle golds at a major international competition. In the process, Ledecky set three world records at the meet – two in the 1500m freestyle (15:27.71, 15:25.48) and one in the 800m freestyle (8:07.39). Ledecky earned FINA’s Female Swimmer of the Meet for her efforts.
Ledecky originally made her mainstream mark with the London Olympics, winning gold in the women’s 800m freestyle, and has further infiltrated non-swimming-community culture via landing on ESPN’s Top Ten Plays in 2013. That was the same year fellow American swimming superstar, Missy Franklin, found herself on the 2013 edition of this same list.
Among the additional names on this year’s roster include rock climber, Ashima Shiraishi; young restaurateur, Flynn McGarry; and actress Amandla Stenberg; girls’ education advocate and Nobel Peace Prize winner Malala Yousafzai; and “Keeping Up With the Kardashians” stars Kylie and Kendall Jenner. You can view the entire list here.
Any chance we’ll see Ms. Ledecky race prior to the Olympic Trials?
Mark – I think it’s safe to assume we will. She didn’t take a year off of college to not race long course. Haven’t heard anything firm about her schedule – though presume it will include some of the PSS.
It should be noted that Katie Ledeky is not the only swimmer on that list. Olivia Hallisey, age 17, swims under Jamie Barone at Chelsea Piers Aquatic Club in Stamford, Connecticut. She is recognized by Time Magazine for winning top honors at the worldwide Google Science Fair for creating a rapid, temperature independent Ebola test.
I’m pretty sure this article just mentioned Malala Yousafzai in the same sentence as “Keeping Up With The Kardashians” stars Kylie and Kendall Jenner.
It certainly is an interesting world we live in.
The best is yet to come! Congratulations, Katie. Well done.