‘Gutsy’ Katie Ledecky finally opens up about POTS syndrome after 10 years of painful suffering

Olympian Katie Ledecky recently opened up about her medical condition and the reason why she has kept quiet about it so far.

‘Gutsy’ Katie Ledecky finally opens up about POTS syndrome after 10 years of painful suffering

Katie Ledecky [Image Credit: Mashable]

Olympian Katie Ledecky reveals that she’s been dealing with a medical condition named POTS syndrome for over 10 years in her memoir titled ‘Just Add Water: My Swimming Life’. Fans were shocked to learn of her condition noting how she did not reveal it until now and even brought two Olympic medals home from Paris Games 2024.

She said she never felt like her medical condition was something she should talk about or reveal, and has so far dealt with it accordingly to not affect her professional life. She was first diagnosed in 2015 when she felt “extremely hot and lightheaded” after team dinner following their final race.

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While she initially thought it was due to exhaustion, the symptoms remained and over time interfered with her practices. It was her coach Bruce Gemmell who suggested she get a specialist at Johns Hopkins to look further into the problem.

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Later she was diagnosed with POTS, a medical condition where blood flows more into the lower parts of the body while standing or sitting from a laid-down position. It often causes dizziness, fatigue, and fast heart rate, among common symptoms. 

I pool blood in the vessels below my heart when I stand. My body then releases extra norepinephrine or epinephrine, which adds additional stressors on my heart, making it beat faster. Which, in turn, brings on dizziness, fainting, and exhaustion.
Katie Ledecky as per Bruce Y. Lee of Forbes.

Since getting diagnosed with the condition, Katie Ledecky focused on staying hydrated and “fueling my body” with what it needed the most. After 10 years of dealing with the syndrome, she assures that she is now in complete control of her body.

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Katie Ledecky thankful for support from family, and coaches

Katie Ledecky says after every Olympic or World Championship races she learns more about her body. “I’m pretty good at listening to my body,” so if she feels like she needs a bit of “reset” she’ll take time off and take it easy to make sure she gives herself plenty of time to rest and recuperate.

Katie Ledecky [Image Credit: Reuters]
Katie Ledecky [Image Credit: Reuters]

While dealing with such lifestyle-changing conditions, Ledecky believes a major portion depends on love and support from close ones. She is thankful to her family, and coaches for always being there for her and for never forcing her to win a medal.

I had the incredible luck of being mentored by a series of devoted and wise coaches willing to lift me up without making swimming my sole raison d'être. My family did the same. I was never pressured to perform by anyone but myself.
Katie Ledecky in her book ‘Just Add Water: My Swimming Life’.

For people who are going through the same condition, she hopes they remain patient and trust their doctors to manage POTS syndrome. While she admits she got diagnosed very quickly, it can be a lengthy process for some. The key here is to “stay patient and work with the people around you and make sure you have good people watching out for you.”

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