I hope that young girls will have the dream and will have experiences. And it might not be in swimming. It might be in something else. But I found a passion, and I love it. It's something I love and something I enjoy. It's something I'm good at. And it's what I have been able to give 100 percent to.

I always just focus on what my own goals are, and not what anybody else's goals for me are or their expectations. I just know that my family will always be supporting me and my friends and my coaches. And as long as I put in the hard work and know that I'm giving it my best effort, I will always be happy.

My faith has always been important to me. It defines who I am.

I think Rowdy Gaines actually said something like: Katie Ledecky doesn't swim like a man. She swims like Katie Ledecky.And that was a good comment. I swim the way I swim. And I take it as a compliment when somebody says I swim like a man, because, as you said, my stroke is kind of taken after what some of the male freestylers have done. But I'm just trying to go as fast as I can go.

I try to make the good days great and take something positive from the days I'm not feeling good - work on technique or something like that.

You are always racing against the other swimmers, but I always try to just focus on what I'm doing and how I want to swim my races.

I hope that young girls will have the dream and will have experiences. And it might not be in swimming. It might be in something else. But I found a passion, and I love it. It's something I love and something I enjoy. It's something I'm good at. And it's what I have been able to give 100 percent to.