Katie Ledecky Becomes First Swimmer to Receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom
03/05/2024 19:44
By Charlotte Wells on SwimSwam
Katie Ledecky is the first swimmer to ever receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom since its inception 61 years ago.
She is one of 19 recipients who will be honored with the award today.
The Maryland native will make an appearance at the White House to accept the honor from President Biden, who announced the list of recipients this morning.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is the highest civilian honor in the United States and is presented to individuals who have made significant contributions to the country, world peace, or other societal, public or private endeavors.
Widely viewed as one of the greatest swimmers of all time, Ledecky boasts an impressive career haul of seven Olympic gold medals and 21 World Championships gold medals in addition to having broken 14 world records.
The honor comes amidst Ledecky’s continued preparation for the upcoming Olympic Games.
Ledecky is one of two professional athletes receiving the medal today; Jim Thorpe, a former multi-sport star who was the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal in 1912, is being awarded the honor posthumously.
The full list of recipients can be seen below.
Presidential Medal of Freedom Recipients
- Michael Bloomberg: Entrepreneur, philanthropist and three-term New York City mayor
- Gregory Boyle: Jesuit Catholic priest and founder of the world's largest gang-intervention and rehabilitation program
- James Clyburn: Former Assistant Democratic Leader and Majority Whip in the House of Representatives
- Elizabeth Dole: Senator, Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of Labor, and President of the American Red Cross
- Phil Donahue: Journalist and television pioneer
- Medgar Evers (posthumous): Served in World War II and fought against segregation in Mississippi
- Al Gore: Former Vice President, awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his action on climate change
- Clarence B. Jones: Civil rights activist and lawyer
- John Kerry: Former Secretary of State and first Special Presidential Envoy for Climate
- Frank Lautenberg(posthumous): Five-term Senator, remembered for critical work on environmental protection
- Katie Ledecky: Most decorated female swimmer in history
- Opal Lee: Educator and activist
- Ellen Ochoa: First Hispanic woman in space, second female director of NASA's Johnson Space Center
- Nancy Pelosi: 52nd Speaker of the House
- Jane Rigby: Astronomer and chief scientist of the world's most powerful telescope
- Teresa Romero: First Latina to become president of a national union in the U.S.
- Judy Shepard: Co-founder of the Matthew Shepard Foundation
- Jim Thorpe (posthumous): Olympic gold-medallist and professional football, baseball and basketball player
- Michelle Yeoh: First Asian actress to win the Academy Award for Best Actress
Read the full story on SwimSwam: Katie Ledecky Becomes First Swimmer to Receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom
