Who is Katie Ledecky?
Katie Ledecky was born in Washington, D.C., and grew up in the Bethesda, Maryland, area. Her parents are David Ledecky and Mary Gen (née Hagan).
After completing Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in 2015, she attended Stanford University to obtain her degree, where she majored in psychology and minored in political science.
Besides the pool, Ledecky likes to play Scrabble, chess, and the piano. She also has a strong commitment to philanthropy, supporting groups such as Catholic Charities, Shepherd’s Table, Bikes for the World, and the Wounded Warrior Project. Her upcoming memoir, Just Add Water, was announced by Simon & Schuster in March 2024.
Career
Katie Ledecky trained at the Nation’s Capital Swim Club and achieved national records during his successful high school swimming career. As a student at Stanford University, she broke nine American records and twelve NCAA records. She helped Stanford win its second NCAA championship in 2018 and set three more records.
Since she was a teenager, Katie Ledecky has distinguished herself as a swimmer on a global scale. Her remarkable achievement at the London 2012 Olympic Games marked the beginning of her road to becoming one of the world’s most decorated swimmers. She was only 15 when she established a record in the 800m freestyle race.
She won gold in the 200, 400, and 800-meter freestyle competitions at the Rio 2016 Olympics, in addition to winning the 4×200-meter freestyle relay. In the 4×100-meter freestyle relay, she also took home a silver medal.
Katie Ledecky went on to add two gold and two silver medals to her collection at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. She took home gold in both the first-ever 1,500-meter freestyle and the 800-meter freestyle. She also won silver in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay and the 400-meter freestyle.
She won gold for the fourth time in a row in the 800-meter freestyle and defended her 1,500-meter freestyle championship at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Ledecky participated in the 4×200-meter freestyle relay, where she finished with a combined time of 7:40.86 to win a silver medal.
She won four gold medals in the 2022 world championships in the 400-, 800-, and 1,500-meter freestyle competitions as well as the 4×200-meter freestyle relay.
At the 2023 World Aquatic Championships in Fukuoka, Japan, Katie Ledecky also performed exceptionally well, winning two gold medals in the 800- and 1,500-meter freestyle competitions and two silver medals in the 400- and 4×200-meter freestyle relays.
At the 2023 USA Swimming Championships, Ledecky won three gold medals in the 400, 800, and 1,500-meter races and one silver in the 200-meter freestyle.
