Built on Consistency: Katie Ledecky on Reframing Hard Days, Swimming Into the Record Books & Inspiring the Next Generation
Hurdle with Emily AbbateShow Notes
In this week's rewind episode, Emily sits down with four-time Olympian Katie Ledecky, the most decorated American female Olympian in history. Ledecky brings us back to her roots, talking about her first-ever goals in swimming and how she originally fell in love with the sport at age six. The swimming legend shares her perspective on the grueling work required to maintain excellence over a two-decade career, regularly logging 20+ hours a week in the water and another 6 to 7 hours in the gym. Katie opens up about how she handles pre-race nerves, her mental strategies for befriending pain in the final meters of a race, and how she breaks down monumental goals into small, doable pieces. Plus: The deep impact of her family, what it’s like to drop into a random local pool for lap swim, and what true lifestyle balance looks like for her outside of training. She also touches on what it means to be a powerful role model and how that mission became even more meaningful when she partnered with Athleta’s Power of She collective. IN THIS EPISODE How does Katie Ledecky befriend pain? She recalls a defining 1500-meter race from the 2014 Pan Pacific Championships where she hit a wall of pain at the 900-meter mark but pushed through to pick up her split times.
Katie talks about how she feels about what she’s achieved in her 22-year career in sport. Having far surpassed her childhood dreams, she shares how she continues to set bigger goals while maintaining her passion.
What is Katie Ledecky’s "why" in swimming? She discusses balancing her personal drive to find the best version of herself with a deep joy for inspiring the next generation of athletes.
How Katie Ledecky fuels to train and perform. She walks through her daily nutrition schedule, navigating early morning practices, and structuring a balance of protein and carbs.
How much sleep does Katie Ledecky get and what she does when she doesn’t get as much as she’d like. Katie discusses aiming for 8 to 9 hours a night and the sacred role of her daily midday nap.
What it was like for Katie to follow in her brother’s footsteps in the pool. She reflects on looking up to her older brother, Michael, and following him into the sport.
What Katie Ledecky’s relationship is with goal setting and how that has evolved since she started swimming. She explains her childhood habit of writing down "want times" to gamify her progress.
What are Katie Ledecky’s current goals? She focuses on the upcoming World Aquatic Championships in Singapore and building consistency in her training block.
How does Katie Ledecky reframe negative self-talk? She shares her approach to managing off-days in practice by finding small technical elements to adjust and relying on the positive energy of her teammates.
Katie talks about the most difficult hurdle of her professional career—navigating the uncertainty, isolation, and training adjustments brought on by the 2020 Olympic postponement.
QUOTABLE MOMENTS "Nerves are a good thing. It means you care about what you're about to do... Knowing that you're prepared for the biggest stage and you're ready—that’s one of the best feelings in the world."
"Even if you hit that point in that race, you can push past it and maybe even go faster. It's always interesting to learn those things, and I'm still learning at this age. That's what keeps it fun for me."
"I'm always just trying to push myself and trying to be the best version of myself that I can be... If we can encourage each other to pursue those passions, pursue those big goals, beautiful things happen."
"I can't be at 100% every single day. But if I'm at 80%, I've got to give 100% of my 80%. I just try to be as consistent as I can be on a day-to-day basis."
"Keep it moving. If you keep moving forward, you're going to make progress, you're going to have a good day."
SOCIAL @katieledecky @womenshealthmag @emilyabbate @iheartwomenssports JOIN: The Daily Hurdle IG Channel
More from Hurdle with Emily Abbate
There is never going to be enough time for everything—so how do we actually make time for what matters most? In this week’s 5-Minute Friday, Emily checks in ahead of a whirlwind weekend in Los Angeles for Nike’s After Dark half-marathon. She unpacks a recent conversation about capacity, boundaries, and what it really means to prioritize your life when your schedule is packed to the brim. The truth? Staying aligned with your values often means drawing firm boundaries, getting comfortable with saying no, and accepting that the people who genuinely love you will respect your limits. Plus, Emily answers an inspiring listener update from Stephanie, who turned a heartbreaking marathon miss into a massive 12-minute PR and her first sub-4 finish by leaning into the unglamorous basics: consistent stretching, smart fueling, and refusing to give up when things didn't go as planned. SOCIAL @emilyabbate @hurdlepodcast @iheartwomenssports SUBSCRIBE: Hurdle's YouTube Channel SIGN UP: Weekly Hurdle Newsletter ASK ME A QUESTION: Email [email protected] to with your questions! Emily answers them every Friday on the show. RSVP TO NYC MARATHON LIVE SHOW: Friday Night With Tracksmith See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Nike Pacific Head Run Coach, competitive trail runner, and Femmi co-founder Lydia O’Donnell sits down to talk about unlearning toxic fitness norms and rebuilding a sustainable, empowering relationship with movement. Lydia opens up about navigating disordered eating, losing her menstrual cycle during her elite road racing career, and the life-changing pivot to cycle-based training sparked by Dr. Stacy Sims’ ROAR. She also takes us behind the scenes of founding Femmi in a male-dominated tech landscape, navigating capital raising, weathering layoffs, and coping with the grief of losing her father while managing a startup. Plus, Lydia breaks down the biggest misconceptions around training through your period and shares the mindset shifts required to run for longevity rather than comparison. IN THIS EPISODE Trail Running as a Reset: How shifting from 20 years of competitive road and track racing to technical trail distances (from 21K up to 50K) helped Lydia rediscover pure playfulness and stripped away external pacing pressures.
It is sweater weather in New York, and life has a way of reminding us that we never truly know what the people around us are carrying. In this week’s 5-MINUTE FRIDAY, I open up about navigating heavy personal news, holding space for loved ones, and finding grounding in the small, daily gratitudes—from a quiet autumn sunrise to choosing how we show up when life throws curveballs. Plus, with marathon season in the air, I weigh in on the buzz around race-day traditions and tackle a listener question from Easton on two of the trickiest race-day logistics: Prompt of the Week: What is one thing you can do for yourself right now, within the next hour? Put on your own oxygen mask first. SOCIAL @emilyabbate @hurdlepodcast @iheartwomenssports SUBSCRIBE: Hurdle's YouTube Channel SIGN UP: Weekly Hurdle Newsletter ASK ME A QUESTION: Email [email protected] to with your questions! Emily answers them every Friday on the show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
From chasing an Olympic Marathon Trials qualifier for over a decade to standing atop the podium as the 2026 HYROX Elite 15 World Champion in just seven months, Alyssa McElheny’s athletic trajectory is nothing short of extraordinary. But behind the rapid ascent lies years of disciplined foundation, relentless perspective, and an infectious commitment to finding pure joy in the process. In this episode, Alyssa sits down to unpack what happens when your entire life pivots overnight: navigating imposter syndrome on the elite stage, learning to embrace strength training as a lifelong runner, and the mindset reframes that turn unexpected race-day hurdles into podium performances. She also breaks down the two-minute penalty she got in Scotland for spitting on course, how a sprained ankle three days before Worlds became her secret weapon, and why keeping kindness and community at the center of sport matters far more than any podium finish. IN THIS EPISODE The Overnight Shift: What it feels like to go from full-time wedding photographer to sponsored pro athlete with camera crews following your daily routine.
Peak fall running weather has arrived in New York City, and as race season kicks into high gear, Emily is diving into what it means to be grounded by community and how to show up for yourself when big goals feel daunting. Ahead of marathon weekend, she shares her two biggest pieces of advice for first-time marathoners: recognizing that the starting line already proves who you've become, and giving yourself grace rather than judging your beginnings too harshly. Later in the episode, Emily answers a listener question from Jen, who is tackling the Chicago Marathon while dealing with a fresh diagnosis of plantar fasciitis. Emily discusses how to navigate the mental battle of letting go of initial time goals, shifting focus toward staying healthy, and using "I Am" affirmations to focus on what you can control when plans change. SOCIAL @emilyabbate @hurdlepodcast @iheartwomenssports SUBSCRIBE: Hurdle's YouTube Channel SIGN UP: Weekly Hurdle Newsletter ASK ME A QUESTION: Email [email protected] to with your questions! Emily answers them every Friday on the show. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.