Katie Ledecky High School

Katie Ledecky, born on March 17, 1997, in Washington D.C. to parents David and Mary Gen Ledecky, has established herself as one of the most accomplished and celebrated swimmers across the globe.

Moreover, Ledecky’s mother Mary Gen was a swimmer herself at the University of New Mexico and was introduced to swimming at the early age of 6, influenced by her older brother Michael and her mother's background in the sport. At a young age, Ledecky joined the prestigious Nation's Capital Swim Club (formerly Curl Burke Swim Club) where she began her competitive swimming journey.

Which High School did Katie Ledecky attend?

Katie Ledecky attended Little Flower School in Bethesda through eighth grade and graduated from Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart in 2015.

She began her high school swimming career with immediate success. As a freshman in 2011-12, she twice set the American and US Open records in the 500-yard freestyle. That same year, she also broke the national high school record in the 200-yard freestyle.

Her record-breaking performances continued over the next three years. By the time she graduated in 2015, Ledecky held every Stone Ridge school record except the 100-meter breaststroke. She was a 16-time NISCA High School All-American and a three-time USA Swimming Scholastic All-American.

National High School Records

Stone Ridge School Records

While still in high school, Ledecky burst onto the international scene in a major way at the 2012 London Olympics at just 15 years old. In her Olympic debut, she shockingly won gold in the 800-meter freestyle, setting an American record in the process.

Ledecky continued her international dominance at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships. At the 2013 event in Barcelona, she won four gold medals, setting two world records. Two years later in Kazan, she won gold in the 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1500m freestyle events, making her the first swimmer ever to win all four of those events at a single World Championships.

By the end of her high school, Ledecky had cemented herself as one of the greatest swimmers in the world, merely a precursor to the incredible professional success that was to come.

Katie Ledecky’s College

Continuing her athletic pursuits, Katie Ledecky accepted a scholarship to attend Stanford University, where she swam for coach Greg Meehan’s Stanford Cardinal women's swimming team. Moreover, in December 2020, Ledecky earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Political Science from Stanford and graduated in June 2021.

Nonetheless, Ledecky set 12 NCAA records and nine American records while swimming during her freshman season at Stanford. She also earned Swimmer of the Year honors alongside four American records as Stanford won its first conference title in over four years. The following season, Ledecky set three more NCAA records and two more American records while leading Stanford to consecutive titles. In the meantime, she broke many records and established herself as a top-tier athlete.

She was also the recipient of the Honda Cup, an award which recognizes the nation's top female collegiate athlete. Moreover, she was the first freshman in 35 years to win this award.