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Seven-time Olympic and 19-time World Championship gold medalist Katie Ledecky is considered the most successful female swimmer in the history of the sport.
The 25-year-old has several records to her name, including the 800 and 1500-meter freestyle (long course). Katie Ledecky joined CNBC: Closing Bell to discuss her experience in Tokyo and shed light on her partnerships with sponsors.
With such prominent success over the last three editions of the Olympics, it's no coincidence that brands will be attracted to an athlete of such stature.
Talking about her brand partnerships, she said:
"I am really excited that I've been able to partner with some terrific brands and very authentic partnerships, and partnerships with brands that are doing really great things in communities and in the nation and in the world."
The importance of mental health was highlighted greatly during the Tokyo Olympics after the withdrawal of leading gymnast Simone Biles. Talking about her views on mental health, she said:
"Mental (health) is very important and it goes hand in hand with physical health...For me, the biggest thing to manage all the expectations is just to focus on myself and my goals for myself....I really love the training and love the process and I really think you have to enjoy the day to day journey to...be able to really give your best at the biggest stage which was Tokyo for me."
Known for her hard work and perseverance, Katie shared that she loves her training and gets quickly back in the pool after a competition. She usually takes two weeks off after the event.
Katie Ledecky signed her first endorsement deal in 2018
When Katie Ledecky was an NCAA student-athlete, she was not permitted to accept any endorsement or prize money from a competition. However, the rules have changed since 2018 and athletes can make a profit using their name, image, and likeness.
She shared her advice for students to balance opportunities financially with all they need to accomplish on the athletic side of the sport.
"I competed for two years collegiately for Stanford under my coach Greg Meehan and Tracy Schlesser. They were helping me guide me through the process of turning professional and they were very supportive of my decision and signed on with a great swimwear brand...they've just been a tremendous supporter of mine and I hope that the college athletes around the country are getting great support from their schools and from many brands around the country."
The student-athletes are now allowed to partner with brands, something which Katie missed out on. Speaking about the same, she added:
"Its great that they have the oppportunities that they have now and it will be very interesting and fascinating to see how they leverage that and how they build their brands and partner with some great companies."
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Katie Ledecky's current net worth is $5 million. The champion swimmer turned professional in 2018. She signed her first endorsement deal with swimwear company TYR. which paid her $7 million over six years.
Other brands she is associated with include Panasonic, Ralph Lauren, Hershey's, Adidas, Visa, Reese's, and Built with Chocolate Milk.
Her partnership with Panasonic helped her launch a STEM education school for children with a special emphasis on girls.
Talking about her partnership, Katie Ledecky said:
"I have a STEM education program with Panasonic and that has been something that we've been doing over the last year-and-a-half and expanding that over this fall. I ve been visiting schools in the US and even during the pandemic, we adapted and did some virtual visits with students...it was terrific."
With some years left in her career, there is no doubt that she will continue being a superstar of the sport and also a great brand ambassador for various brands. Katie Ledecky's net worth is likely to see an increase in coming years, and it will be well-deserved.
