Legendary Olympian Katie Ledecky to Speak at Stanford Commencement in June

Katie Ledecky is one of the most decorated Olympians ever. And a year after another strong Olympics, she will return to her old stomping grounds to give a graduation day speech.

Aug 8, 2024; Paris, France; American swimmer Katie Ledecky poses for a photograph in a men's basketball semifinal game between the United States and Serbia during the Paris 2024 Olympic Summer Games at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

A legendary Stanford Cardinal will return to the place it all began. In June, Stanford alum and the most decorated female Olympian in history, Katie Ledecky, will come back to campus to address the graduating class of 2025 during commencement.

Ledecky, who graduated in 2020 with a degree in psychology and a minor in political science, will give a commencement speech on Sunday, June 15 in Stanford Stadium, with the ceremony set to begin at around 9 a.m.

One of 59 Stanford representatives at the Paris Olympics last summer, Ledecky was one of the big reasons why Stanford was able to win a school record of 39 medals. A Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, Ledecky's impact on women's sports has been undeniably huge.

Overall in her career, Ledecky has won nine Olympic gold medals, winning two more in Paris, and is the record holder for most Olympic golds won by a female Olympian. She is also tied for most golds won by any woman in Olympic history, from any country or sport.

During her time at school, Ledecky was key in keeping Stanford's reputation as one of the most competitive swim schools in the nation alive and well. Coached by the legendary Greg Meehan, she set nearly a dozen USA records, won eight NCAA championships, and set 15 NCAA records.

During her time on the team, the Cardinal won back-to-back team NCAA titles as well as two Pac-12 conference championships.

Growing up in Maryland, Ledecky eventually enrolled at Stanford in 2017 and in a memoir that she wrote in 2024, she explained how her time at Stanford gave her the opportunity to not only develop and train even more as a swimmer, but pursue a bunch of different academic avenues.

In her freshman year in 2017, she earned the Al Masters Award which is awarded to the Stanford student-athlete who meets the highest standards of academics, leadership and athletic performance. She was also named the Division I Academic All-America Team Member of the Year.

Ledecky's return will surely spark a lot of excitement and anticipation and is just another representation of just how rich the athletic history is at the extremely rigorous academic institution that is Stanford University.