Wrightsville Beach woman recalls winning Olympic Gold, following recent Middle East trip to visit troops
WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — It’s been eight years since the 2016 Rio Olympic Games took place in Brazil.
But for a Wrightsville Beach woman, the experience continues to provide joy for her and others.
Kathleen Baker spent time during the recent Paris Olympics in the Middle East, meeting with troops and giving them a first-hand look at what it’s like to take part in the games.
“I got to sort of interact with them on a day-to-day basis,” Baker said. “Which you know breaks up the deployment life. Also got to give them the behind-the-scenes look on the Olympics.”
Baker won two medals for swimming in the 2016 Olympics, taking home silver in the individual 100-meter backstroke and gold in the 4 x 100 meter medley relay.
She says one of the most common questions she receives is how does it feel to have won a gold medal?
“I’m always joking, like, ‘Of course it feels great!’ Who would say it doesn’t feel great? I mean, you get to watch your flag, which is the American flag for us, raise above the podium while you’re singing the National Anthem,” Baker recalled.
Her journey to Rio was years in the making, but Baker had a pretty good idea she was bound for great things from an early age.
“By the time I was 12 I sort of realized ‘I’m gonna be pretty good at this’. I could already Division 1 at 12 years old to pretty much any college I wanted to,” Baker said. “Just knew there were some steps along the way to become an Olympic swimmer.”
Baker took in some of the most recent Olympic Games during watch parties with troops as she toured around several countries.
She says the viewing experience is a bit different now than it was before she had taken home a medal, knowing what goes in to achieving greatness.
“It’s definitely way different being on the other side because I know what it’s like,” Baker said. “When you’re 7, 8 years old, you’re just watching the Olympics, and everyone says they wanna be like Michael Phelps. Now I’ve gone to the Olympics, I’ve gone to the Olympics with Michael Phelps. I’ve done it, and sort of know the pressure and know what it feels like nerve-wise.”
Although Baker says it’s hard watching her friends take part in the Olympics without her, she’s not too sure jumping back in the deep end for Los Angeles in 2028 is in the cards.
“Pretty big comeback if I wanted to do that. I never say never. But I definitely feel like I’m enjoying having my Saturdays off for the first same since I was maybe like 9 years old,” Baker said.
For all the 9-year-olds out there dreaming of achieving Olympic gold in swimming like Baker, she says it’s doable if you keep the right mindset.
“I believed in myself every step of the way. Even when it was maybe a little delusional,” Baker said. “But I think having such a strong belief in yourself is what helps people get to the next level.”
In addition to being an Olympic gold medalist, Kathleen Baker also set the World Record for 100-meter backstroke at a different event in 2018.
