Quick Facts

Parents, Richard and Patty
Two sisters, Sarah and Stephanie
Named the USA Triathlon Female Paratriathlete of the Year after her first world title in 2014

Biographical Information

Kendall Gretsch was born in Downers Grove, Illinois, with spina bifida. She played multiple sports as a child, including swimming, rock climbing, softball and basketball.

Gretsch became involved in triathlon after her sophomore year of college and won three consecutive world championships from 2014 to 2016. After her triathlon classification was not selected for Paralympic Games Rio 2016, Gretsch considered picking up a winter sport and settled on Para Nordic skiing.

Gretsch made her Paralympic debut as a winter-sport athlete, winning two gold medals in Nordic skiing at the Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018. Three years later, at the postponed Paralympics Tokyo 2020, she won gold in the women’s Paratriathlon, becoming just the fifth American to ever win gold at both the summer and winter Paralympic Games.

Paralympic Experience

4-time Paralympian; 7-time Paralympic medalist (4 gold, 2 silver, 1 bronze)
- Paralympic Games Paris 2024, silver (PTHC - Women)
- Paralympic Games Beijing 2022, gold (10km Middle - Sitting - Women), silver (12.5km Individual - Sitting - Women), bronze (6km Individual - Sitting - Women), 4th (15km - Sitting - Women), 5th (1km Sprint - Sitting - Women), 6th (7.5km - Sitting - Women), 9th (4 x 2.5km Relay Open - Open)
- Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020, gold (PTHC - Women)
- Paralympic Games Pyeongchang 2018, gold (12km - Sitting - Women, 6km Individual - Sitting - Women), 4th (10km Middle - Sitting - Women), 6th (5km - Sitting - Women), 7th (1km Sprint - Sitting - Women, 4 x 2.5km Relay Mixed - Mixed), 8th (12.5km Individual - Sitting - Women)

World Championships Experience

Most recent: 2025 – gold (12.5km Individual - Sitting - Women, 7.5km Sprint - Sitting - Women, Sprint Pursuit - Sitting - Women), silver (20km Freestyle - Sitting - Women, 4 x 2.5km Relay Mixed - Mixed, Sprint Classic Style - Sitting - Women), bronze (10km Classic Style - Sitting - Women)
Years of participation: 10km Classic Style - Sitting - Women 2025; 12.5km Individual - Sitting - Women 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025; 20km Freestyle - Sitting - Women 2025; 4 x 2.5km Relay Mixed - Mixed 2022, 2023, 2025; 7.5km Sprint - Sitting - Women 2023, 2024, 2025; Sprint Classic Style - Sitting - Women 2025; Sprint Pursuit - Sitting - Women 2025; 3km Pursuit - Sitting - Women 2024; 4km Team Sprint - Sitting - Open 2024; PTHC - Women 2019, 2022, 2023, 2024; Team Relay - Open 2022, 2023, 2024; 10km Freestyle - Sitting - Women 2023; 10km Middle - Sitting - Women 2019, 2022, 2023; 20km Classic Style - Sitting - Women 2023; Sprint Freestyle - Sitting - Women 2023; 15km - Sitting - Women 2022; 1km Sprint - Sitting - Women 2019, 2022; 6km Individual - Sitting - Women 2019, 2022; 7.5km - Sitting - Women 2022; 12km - Sitting - Women 2019; 5km - Sitting - Women 2019; PT1 - Women 2014, 2015, 2016
Medals: 38 (22 gold, 13 silver, 3 bronze)
- Gold – 2025 (12.5km Individual - Sitting - Women, 7.5km Sprint - Sitting - Women, Sprint Pursuit - Sitting - Women); 2024 (12.5km Individual - Sitting - Women, 3km Pursuit - Sitting - Women, 4km Team Sprint - Sitting - Open, PTHC - Women, Team Relay - Open); 2023 (10km Freestyle - Sitting - Women, 20km Classic Style - Sitting - Women, 4 x 2.5km Relay Mixed - Mixed, 10km Middle - Sitting - Women, 12.5km Individual - Sitting - Women, 7.5km Sprint - Sitting - Women, Team Relay - Open); 2022 (7.5km - Sitting - Women, 10km Middle - Sitting - Women, 12.5km Individual - Sitting - Women); 2019 (12.5km Individual - Sitting - Women); 2016 (PT1 - Women); 2015 (PT1 - Women); 2014 (PT1 - Women)
- Silver – 2025 (20km Freestyle - Sitting - Women, 4 x 2.5km Relay Mixed - Mixed, Sprint Classic Style - Sitting - Women); 2023 (Sprint Freestyle - Sitting - Women, PTHC - Women); 2022 (15km - Sitting - Women, PTHC - Women, Team Relay - Open); 2019 (10km Middle - Sitting - Women, 12km - Sitting - Women, 5km - Sitting - Women, 6km Individual - Sitting - Women, PTHC - Women)
- Bronze – 2025 (10km Classic Style - Sitting - Women); 2024 (7.5km Sprint - Sitting - Women); 2019 (1km Sprint - Sitting - Women)

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Hometown

Education

World Championship Experience

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