Medals? Records? No, Katie Ledecky's Real Career Turning Point Was a Broken Arm in Gym Class 3 Shares You can't gain confidence overnight, but five-time Olympic gold medalist and swim phenom Katie Ledecky has learned how to embrace self-belief throughout her career. "Behind the blocks, before the races, of course I'm nervous just like everyone else. I have that nervous excitement in my stomach," she told POPSUGAR. "And I think back to all the hard work that I've put in and the confidence that I have in my training and knowing that I'm ready to compete." It's her coaches who helped instill that tenacity, reminding her that she belonged in every stage of her career no matter what age.