Katie Ledecky Bio, Age, Height, Education, Husband, Parents, Career

Katie Ledecky is a top American swimmer with seven Olympic gold medals and 21 world championship gold medals. She holds the most individual golds at the World Aquatics Championships with 16. Ledecky also has records for six individual Olympic golds and 26 total World Aquatics Championships medals.

She holds world records in the 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle (long and short course) and previously held the 400-meter freestyle (long course) record. She also has the fastest times in the 500-, 1000-, and 1650-yard freestyle events.

Ledecky won gold in the 800-meter freestyle at the 2012 London Olympics. In the 2016 Rio Olympics, she won four golds, one silver, and set two world records, and became the most decorated female athlete of the games. At the 2020 Olympics, she was the most decorated U.S. female athlete and became the first American female swimmer to win an individual event in three straight Olympics.

In 2023, she won her sixth World Championship gold in the 800 meters, the most by any swimmer in a single event. Throughout her career, Ledecky has won 47 medals in major competitions, including the Olympics, World Championships, and Pan Pacific Championships, and has broken sixteen world records.

Ledecky has been named Swimming World’s Female World Swimmer of the Year five times, Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year in 2017 and 2022, international female Champion of Champions by L’Équipe in 2014 and 2017, United States Olympic Committee Female Athlete of the Year in 2013, 2016, and 2017, Sportswoman of the Year by the Women’s Sports Foundation in 2017, and ESPY Best Female Athlete in 2022. In 2024, President Joe Biden awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom. ¹

I try to make the good days great and take something positive from the days I’m not feeling good.

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Katie Ledecky Bio

Kathleen Genevieve Ledecky was born on March 17, 1997, in the United States and she is 27 years old as of 2024. She is a White American who believes in the Christian religion. Her height is 6 feet. ²

Katie Ledecky Education

Katie Ledecky attended Little Flower School through eighth grade and graduated from Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in 2015. During high school, she set American and US Open records in the 500-yard freestyle and national high school records in the 200-yard freestyle. She held every Stone Ridge school swimming record.

In December 2016, Katie and gymnast Simone Biles were named sponsors of the US Navy aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, the first Olympians to receive this honor. Ledecky completed a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in political science from Stanford University in December 2020 and graduated in June 2021.

While studying at Stanford, Ledecky continued to shine and made a name for herself nationally. She won eight National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) titles and set an impressive 15 NCAA records, winning back-to-back NCAA Team Championships and two consecutive Pac-12 Conference Team Championships for her team. ³

Katie Ledecky Parents

Katie Ledecky’s parents are Mary Gen (née Hagan) and David Ledecky. Her paternal grandfather, Jaromír Ledecky, was born in the Czech Republic and came to New York City in 1947. He became an economist and married Berta Ruth Greenwald, an Ashkenazi Jewish woman, in 1956.

Ledecky’s mother has Irish roots, and Katie was raised Catholic. She often prays the Hail Mary before races. Her uncle, Jon Ledecky, co-owns the NHL team New York Islanders. Katie began swimming at six, inspired by her older brother Michael and her mother, who swam for the University of New Mexico.

Katie Ledecky Husband

Katie Ledecky is unmarried as of now (no husband) and she is completely dedicated to her career.

Katie Ledecky Career

Katie Ledecky made her international debut after her freshman year at Stone Ridge School in Bethesda, Maryland. At 15, she set an Olympic-trials record in the 800-meter freestyle, qualifying for the 2012 London Olympics. There, she won gold and set an American record.

In 2013, Ledecky set world records in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle at the World Championships, winning gold in both events, as well as in the 400-meter freestyle and the 4×200-meter relay. She earned the FINA Trophy as the top female swimmer.

In 2014, she broke her records in the 800-meter and 1,500-meter freestyle and set a new world record in the 400-meter freestyle. At the Pan Pacific Championships, she won four individual golds and another in the 4×200-meter relay, breaking more world records.

At the 2015 World Championships, Ledecky won five golds (200-, 400-, 800-, and 1,500-meter freestyle and the 4×200-meter relay) and set three world records.

In the 2016 Rio Olympics, Ledecky won four golds (200-, 400-, and 800-meter freestyle and the 4×200-meter relay) and one silver (4×100-meter relay), setting world records in the 400- and 800-meter freestyle.

At the 2017 World Championships, she won five golds but took silver in the 200-meter freestyle. In 2018, she set a new world record in the 1,500-meter freestyle and won more medals at the Pan Pacific Championships.

Despite illness, she won gold in the 800-meter freestyle and silver in two other events at the 2019 World Championships.

At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (held in 2021), Ledecky won gold in the 800- and 1,500-meter freestyle but took silver in the 400-meter freestyle and the 4×200-meter relay.

In 2022, she became the most decorated female swimmer in World Championships history with four more golds. In 2023, she won more golds and set a new record for most individual golds at the World Championships, surpassing Michael Phelps.

In 2024, Ledecky skipped the World Championships to prepare for the Paris Olympics, where she won a bronze in the 400-meter freestyle. She also received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and published her memoir, “Just Add Water: My Swimming Life.” ⁴

Katie Ledecky was a USA Olympic team member in 2012, 2016, 2020, and 2024. She also holds the female record for most individual gold medals (16) and overall gold medals (21) at the World Aquatics Championships. Her combined 22 individual titles at the Olympics (6) and World Aquatics Championships (16) is also a record for female swimmers.

Honors & Achievements of Katie Ledecky

Swimming World World Swimmer of the Year Award in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
Swimming World American Swimmer of the Year Award in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022
SwimSwam Top 100 in 2021 and 2022
2013 FINA World Championships
FINA Swimmer of the Year in 2013 and 2022
2015 FINA World Championships
FINA Best Swimming Performance of the Year in 2015 and 2016
Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year in 2017 and 2022
L’Équipe Champion of Champions in 2014 and 2017
Time 100 in 2016 (youngest person on the list)
USOC Sportswoman of the Year in 2012, 2016, 2017
USA Swimming Athlete of the Year in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018
USA Swimming Performance of the Year Award in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
Golden Goggle Female Athlete of the Year in 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023
Golden Goggle Female Race of the Year in 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2022
Golden Goggle Breakout Performer of the Year in 2012
Honda Sports Award Winner for NCAA Division I Swimming and Diving in 2016
Honda Cup Winner in 2016
Women’s Sports Foundation Athlete of the Year in 2017
Academic All-America Team Member of the Year in 2017
2022 FINA World Championships
Best Female Athlete ESPY Award at the 2022 ESPY Awards
Best Female Olympian ESPY Award at the 2022 ESPY Awards
Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2024 ⁵