The best competitive swimmer on the planet spent 3 months training in a backyard pool while training for the Olympics

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The best competitive swimmer on the planet spent 3 months training in a backyard pool while training for the Olympics
"A very kind family in the Bay Area here allowed us to go to their backyard every day and swim," Katie Ledecky told Insider.REUTERS/David Gray
  • Katie Ledecky — the most decorated female swimmer in history and the current owner of three world records — spent part of the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics training in a backyard pool.
  • The five-time Olympic gold medalist and 15-time World Championship gold medalist was joined by superstar teammate Simone Manuel in swimming in a family's yard not far from her apartment at Stanford.
  • "A very kind family in the Bay Area here allowed us to go to their backyard every day and swim," Ledecky told Insider.
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Katie Ledecky is the greatest female swimmer the world has ever seen.

But even the most esteemed athletes on the planet have faced unprecedented challenges during the coronavirus pandemic.

The best competitive swimmer on the planet spent 3 months training in a backyard pool while training for the Olympics
Katie Ledecky stands on the podium after winning gold at the 2016 Olympics.Clive Rose/Getty Images

For the five-time Olympic gold medalist and current owner of three world records, the biggest hurdle was finding a place to swim. When her typical training facility at Stanford shut down to help stop the spread of COVID-19 and adhere to local governmental protocols, Ledecky and her USA Swimming teammate Simone Manuel — a four-time Olympic medalist herself — scrambled to find a new, safe place to swim.

In promoting her new BIC Soleil Sensitive Advanced "Game On" campaign, Ledecky told Insider that their solution came in the form of a Bay Area backyard pool.

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"Simone and I spent three months training in a backyard pool," Ledecky said. "A very kind family in the Bay Area here allowed us to go to their backyard every day and swim."

"I think everyone had to get creative during this time," she added.

The best competitive swimmer on the planet spent 3 months training in a backyard pool while training for the Olympics
Katie Ledecky swims.Adam Pretty/Getty

Ledecky and Manuel have since been able to rejoin some of their teammates in the pool at Stanford "with lots of protocols, of course." But for the majority of quarantine, the superstar American swimming duo were on their own, getting in some laps while neighbors mowed their lawns.

"A couple months it was just Simone and me and we were training hard," Ledecky said. "It was great to just be able to stay in the water and keep the feel for the water. That's the most important thing for a swimmer. So we were just able to maintain a level of fitness, keep that feel for the water, and it was just great to have some sense of normalcy during that time by going to swim."

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The most decorated female swimmer in history said having her Stanford-turned-USA Swimming teammate by her side made all the difference during this moment of uncertainty.

The best competitive swimmer on the planet spent 3 months training in a backyard pool while training for the Olympics
Katie Ledecky reacts to winning gold.Adam Pretty/Getty

"We were really able to help each other out through that time and we knew what we were going through," Ledecky said. "We were able to keep each other very upbeat and focused on the future."

Outside of the pool, Ledecky has kept herself plenty busy in this time. She is currently quarantining in her apartment near campus, taking a full courseload remotely at Stanford, and spending a good chunk of her free time video chatting with family and friends back home on the east coast.

She has also partnered with BIC Soleil Razors for the "Game On" campaign, which stresses the importance of self-confidence.

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"I'm proud to partner with BIC and my teammate, Simone, to discuss how important it is that women have confidence in themselves and not be afraid to show it," Ledecky said, per BIC's release. "There's no telling how many people we can inspire through our actions; whether competing for medals on a global stage or conquering our everyday responsibilities at work or at home. Confidence is key and the ripple effect can be massive."

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