Katie Ledecky Says Olympics Are 'Melting Pot': You're 'with Everyone from All Over the World'

Kevork Djansezian/Getty Katie Ledecky

When the Olympics do happen next year, Katie Ledecky is ready to be reunited with friends and acquaintances from around the globe.

The U.S. Olympic swimmer, 23, tells PEOPLE, "You really do get to interact with a lot of athletes at the Olympics, typically. I don't know what it's going to be like next year, but typically you're in the cafeteria with everyone from all over the world. So that's kind of just a melting pot of every athlete, every sport, every country."

Ledecky is a five-time gold medalist and will compete in Tokyo in July 2021 — a full year after the original date of the postponed 2020 Games, which were delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"You do get some instances where you are approached by athletes from other countries, and they want to sit down next to you and talk to you over a meal in the village," recounts Ledecky to PEOPLE. "I've had a couple of those instances. And you're also riding the bus with the other athletes and you strike up conversations there and you trade pins and all that."

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Ledecky — who has competed in two previous Summer Games — hasn't yet had the opportunity to watch other athletes compete while at the Olympics, due mostly to the length and set up of swimming events. Yet, she says, "You still really do get the opportunity to meet so many people, especially at events after the Olympics. So whether it's award ceremonies or other events that we're invited to post-Olympics, media events, things like that."

One of those people? Gymnast Simone Biles, who joined Ledecky and host Joi Wade for an interactive Capital One and Visa conversation last week on finding silver linings, embracing pivots, and setting Gold Medal Goals for 2021.

"I'm really happy to be able to partner with Visa and Capital One, to share more about my goal-setting process and hopefully inspire young adults to set and achieve some big goals for the year," Ledecky says of the chat.

Gold Medal Goals comes on the heels of Capital One’s ongoing efforts to support the changing needs of college students.

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"As a recent graduate of Stanford University, I've just been so impressed with Visa and Capital One's ongoing commitment to help the student community succeed," Ledecky says. "They have a new First-Gen Focus program, which is dedicated to first-generation college students, and they're just really helping other college students learn smart money habits and prepare for their financial future and ultimately reach their goals."

And Ledecky's own next goal? A successful run at the Games next year.