She’s the most decorated American female Olympian in history and this summer alone she’s won four medals, including gold in 800m freestyle swimming.
Katie Ledecky is an athlete who competes at the highest level, and she does it despite living with postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) – a physically debilitating disorder.
The lengths to which Ledecky takes her body have led to incredible feats, breaking world records and winning 14 Olympic medals.
But she’s not invincible.
“I've put my body through a lot this week this whole year just all the training,” she told NBC News’ Lester Holt.
In her recent memoir, Ledecky describes having to keep her POTS in check.
She was diagnosed in 2015 after noticing symptoms of fatigue, dizziness, and drops in blood pressure.
“When they stand up they don't feel well and their heart tends to race,” noted Massachusetts General Hospital Cardiovascular Performance Program Director Dr. Sawalla Guseh.
Guseh works with athletes, including those with POTS. He noticed a spike in POTS during the COVID-19 pandemic and said the condition can last from months to years.
“The fact that she (Ledecky) was able to show ‘hey I have this thing, you know, I talked to my doctor about it, I can overcome it, I can compete in the Olympics’ I think that's a tremendous and inspirational story,” said Guseh.
POTS can be managed to the point of leading a normal life through a combination of physical therapy, a nutrition plan, and medication, Guseh said.
“I never felt great like I never had a good day,” said Shirley resident Lindsay Byrne, who first noticed the symptoms while in grade school. “I thought it was normal to be incredibly tired all the time."
The 30-year-old firefighter and paramedic is one of every 3 million people diagnosed with POTS.
It often prompts lifestyle changes. Byrne and Ledecky have added more salt and fluids to their diet and wear compression leggings and socks for better blood circulation.
“Once I was diagnosed it was like a year of trial-and-error, different medications like beta blockers to control my heart rate,” said Byrne.
Byrne now rarely suffers from the symptoms and is able to fulfill her dream of being a first responder.
“If you want to do something you can absolutely do it and I think that just goes to show like she's (Ledecky) an Olympian and she's not letting it stop her, like anyone can do anything,” said Byrne.
POTS can manifest in many ways, in a spectrum of intensities and can take years to figure out the right treatment.
Ledecky said she still has more to prove and could return for the next summer Olympic games in Los Angeles.
