"Katie Ledecky is the Michael Phelps of women's swimming". Can't Katie Ledecky be the Katie Ledecky of swimming?
Who is Katie Ledecky?
Katie Ledecky is most widely known as an American competitive swimmer. Recently, she has become a five-time Olympic gold medalist and is a nine-time world champion. She currently holds the world record for women's swimming in three different races and also the fastest times in four other races.
Overall she has won 20 medals in her four-year swimming career; 19 of them gold and one silver.
Guess how many world records she has broken and now holds: 13.
Along with all of that absolutely amazing information, she has been the first swimmer since 1968 (48 years) to win the 200, 400 and 800 meter freestyle at the same Olympic Games.
Did I mention how old she is?
Eighteen.
She's 18 years old and will go down in history as one of the greatest swimmers in the history of the world. Not one of the greatest women swimmers, one of the greatest swimmers.
While I believe Katie is a proud woman who is doing amazing and unfathomable things for herself, she is not defined by just being a woman. Being a woman doesn't put limitations on what she can do. Yet society tries to. There have been headlines stating that "Katie Ledecky is the Michael Phelps of women's swimming". Why does it have to be a comparison of genders?
She has done amazing things for herself in her lifetime. She has made a name for herself and accomplished dreams that I have never even begun to imagine. So has every other Olympic athlete. But comparing them to one another should never come into play. They are a team working together as the USA to bring home those gold medals. They are a support system for one another. They couldn't individually be as amazing as they are without collectively being together as a support team for one another.
Now, don't get me wrong, Michael Phelps is a phenomenal swimmer, but he is never referred to as No. 1 in men's swimming. Only number one in swimming. The stigma here is not a good thing. If there is going to be a gender placed in the comparison of talent for one gender then there should be no problem doing the same thing to the other.
I am sure that Katie is more than a proud women's swimmer. I believe she is a proud Olympian, as she very much should be. Everyone should be proud of who they are, and not place limitations on themselves based on what limitations society thinks they should have. Such as how people are referring to Katie's swimming as "swimming like a man" or "being the Michael Phelps of women's swimming". Women can do whatever they set their minds to, and not because they are women, but because they are a person that the good Lord above created in His own image.
Michael Phelps is the Katie Ledecky of men's swimming, how about that?
