Exclusive: Olympian Lydia Jacoby Feels She Has 'Nothing to Prove' as She Prepares for 2024 Olympics: 'I'm Allowing Myself to Swim Freely'

Olympic Swimmer Lydia Jacoby, who dominated the women's 100-meter breaststroke at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, is shaking off her nerves as she prepares for the 2024 Olympics in Paris, France, in July.

"It's funny. I was 17 in Tokyo, and I don't want to say I didn't think I'd make that team, but in the years leading into that, I had always aspired to be an Olympian. I really thought Paris was going to be my Olympics, so to have that happen so early in Tokyo, and then now coming off on this one, I'm like, 'This is the one that was always meant to be my game.' In some ways I feel a lot of pressure on that, but I'm also going into the Olympics of like, 'I've already done it. I have nothing to prove.' I'm allowing myself to swim freely," the 20-year-old exclusively tells Morning Honey while talking about partnering with Gillette Venus, The Official Razor of Team USA, to celebrate the Power of Smooth, a new advertising campaign which launched on May 16.

After wrapping up the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, the athlete feels like she's grown "both physically and emotionally" since then. "I didn't expect that to happen that early," she says of her win. "It's been very life-changing in so many good ways. I've had so many opportunities to meet a lot of people, and I feel like that's the most important part. The teammates that I had in Tokyo are really like my family."

When Jacoby was in Japan, she was "so focused" on making the team that she didn't really think about being someone others can relate to. Now, it's something she's been able to grasp. "It's special to know that I could be a role model for someone. I think one of the really great things about social media is that things are so much more available to people. In the last few years, the athlete community has done a great job of breaking down the stigma that athletes are super humans, almost God-like figures. I want people who look up to me to say, 'She's just a girl. She's like me,'" she notes.

"Jessica Hardy was always a huge role model for me," she continues. "She's an Olympic record holder, and she was the first person I got to spend a lot of time with and get to know her as a person. It was mind-blowing for me to realize she's an Olympic gold medalist, and she's like me! I feel like that was something special. I really carry that with me and hope to be that for people."

Hardy's advice for Jacoby is simple: enjoy the process.

"People get so caught up and they don't take time to enjoy the journey. You're so caught up in what is the destination? What's the medal? What's the time? I feel like she did a great job of helping me enjoy each stage and focusing on meeting people around me," she shares.

Ultimately, Jacoby is adamant on making the team again so she can represent the U.S. again. "I'm hoping to be back on top of that podium like I was in Tokyo!" she declares. "I feel like I achieved the pinnacle of my sport at 17, and for a couple of years I put pressure on myself that I needed to do it again. That zapped the love of the sport for me. It's taken me a long time to kind of gain that back, so I've realized the real success is just enjoying the moments and the little things and the people. Those are the real goals for me."

"I'm excited to see where my swimming career goes since I'm still so young," she adds.

Since Jacoby is all about lifting others up, it made sense for her to partner with Gillette Venus. "It was such a natural fit. I have always wanted to be a mermaid, and this is as close as I've gotten to being one! I feel like Gillette Venus gives me smooth and powerful skin," she quips. "I remember shaving with my mom's Venus razor when I was little — don't tell her!"

"Everybody knows about Gillette Venus, and now that I've gotten to know the team, it's all women. It's so fun, and that's so rare," she adds. "I love all their products! I really like the Deluxe Smooth Sensitive Razor. There's no irritation, and it's great! I also travel so much so the Extra Smooth Snap is great."