MoCo Honors Olympic Swimmer During Katie Ledecky Day

BETHESDA, MD — The most-decorated female Olympian, with 14 medals including nine gold, was celebrated in her hometown of Bethesda on Thursday with Katie Ledecky Day.

Ledecky, 27, was honored at her alma mater, Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, for her achievements at the Paris Summer Olympics, with Montgomery County officials, students and faculty gathering to congratulate the swimming star.

“When we think about greatness, it’s not just the talent or success, it’s about character, dedication, and the impact someone has on their community,” County Executive Marc Elrich said during a ceremony at the school, MoCo 360 reported. “Katie embodies all of those qualities, and we couldn’t be more proud to call her our own.”

Two street signs honoring Ledecky were installed along Cedar Lane near the school.

“What was really special about Paris was I would look around the arena, and I would see so many people from this area in the stands. It almost felt like the Olympics were in the U.S.,” Ledecky told the audience.

She said she saw Stone Ridge T-shirts in the crowd in Paris, along with people from her Bethesda elementary school, Little Flower, and coaches from her first swim team, the Palisades Porpoises, WTOP reported.

Montgomery County also proclaimed Oct. 17, 2024, as “Katie Ledecky Day.”

She also received a citation from the Maryland General Assembly presented by District 16 Dels. Teresa Woorman and Sarah Wolek.

Coming into Paris, Ledecky had 10 Olympic medals (seven golds), and became the most decorated U.S. Olympic woman after winning the 1,500-meter freestyle, Team USA said. Ledecky has earned eight of her Olympic gold medals in individual events.

Fellow Maryland swimmer Michael Phelps has 28 medals in total, including 23 gold medals.

The four-time Olympian said she hopes to compete in at the Los Angeles summer games in 2028.

"I would love to swim in LA. I think an Olympics in the United States, it's a unique opportunity," she told CBS after returning from the 2024 Paris Olympics. "Not every athlete gets to compete in an Olympics on home soil."