Video courtesy of USA Swimming
Katie Ledecky, along with other members of the USA Swimming National Team, got a special treat this past week. They took a trip beyond the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and visited NORAD (The North American Aerospace Defense Command). Specifically, they were in the Cheyenne Mountain Complex. The complex was built under 2000 feet of granite and can withstand a 30 megaton nuclear blast.
Ledecky expressed gratitude for the service members that work at NORAD, specifically citing that Olympic endeavors like her own would not be possible without them. She also came away impressed at what she called a “city underground. The Cheyenne Mountain Complex has a twenty four hour fitness center, as well as housing and other amenities that are intended to sustain the staff of the complex in isolation for up to thirty days.
The interviewer expressed that the feeling was mutual. It appears that Ledecky and her teammates gained some new fans on the trip. Ledecky is out west preparing for next week’s Arena Pro Swim Series in Mesa. She will compete there alongside other big names like Missy Franklin, Michael Phelps and Ryan Lochte. She currently has a commanding lead in the series over Franklin with three more stops to follow after Mesa.
It’s call freedom, Bayarea Swim. Freedom.
I don’t understand this statement:
“Ledecky expressed gratitude for the service members that work at NORAD, specifically citing that Olympic endeavors like her own would not be possible without them.”
What does NORAD have to do with Ledecky’s Olympics endeavor? Does NORAD sponsor Ledecky?
NORAD is part of the US Air Force. All Americans owe a debt of gratitude to our servicemen and servicewomen who sacrifice for our freedom. Those freedoms include living in a country where pursuing world-class athletics is possible.