Olympic gold medalist swimmer Katie Ledecky testifies how important prayer is to her before races

Olympic swimming champion Katie Ledecky has revealed that she prays the Hail Mary before each of her races. The swimmer testified how important prayer is to her as she prepares to race, and she will be hoping to compete for a gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics, which opened on Friday.

"I do say a prayer — or two — before any race. The Hail Mary is a beautiful prayer and I find that it calms me," Ledecky told Catholic Standard in an email interview.

The 19-year-old Olympic gold medalist, who graduated from Catholic schools Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart last year and from Little Flower School in 2011, will represent the United States once again in Rio de Janeiro for the summer Olympics. She'll be competing for the women's 200-, 400- and 800-meter freestyle races, where she currently holds world records for what is dubbed the "Ledecky Slam."

The young Christian athlete believes her Catholic faith and upbringing contributed to her success.

"My Catholic faith is very important to me," she said. "It always has been and it always will be. It is part of who I am and I feel comfortable practicing my faith. It helps me put things in perspective," the swimmer added.

Sister Rosemaron Rynn, Ledecky's former principal at Little Flower School described her as an "all-around good kid" and talked about the young athlete's humility.

"You wouldn't know she's an Olympic star," the woman religious told Crux.

According to Crux, the distance swimmer volunteered as a teacher's aid at her elementary school in Bethesda when she entered the senior year in Stone Ridge. She also served as the co-leader of Stone Ridge's ministry program where she volunteered to serve meals for the homeless at the Shepherd's Table soup kitchen, visited the wounded military personnel at the Walter Reed Medical Center, and collected bicycles for the less fortunate with Bikes for the World.

Catherine Ronan Karrels, head of Stone Ridge school, said the champion swimmer "is so grounded in her faith, and supported by a really loving family and community. She's an amazing young woman, who happens to swim."

Ledecky began swimming at the age of six and won her first Olympic gold at the age of 15.