“Athleta has a history of supporting athletes holistically, which resonates with me,” said Katie Ledecky, as she announced her partnership with Athleta at the start of Women’s History Month in March. This collaboration marks a significant move for the world’s most decorated swimmer, as she joins Athleta’s Power of She Collective for a transformative five-year commitment. Athleta’s announcement highlights Ledecky’s unparalleled achievements as a 21-time World Champion and 10-time Olympic medalist.

With 10 Olympic medals, including 7 gold and 3 silver since her debut in London 2012, Katie Ledecky stands tall not only in stature—measuring at 6 feet—but also in her dedication to excellence and hard work. Her world records, such as the 800m freestyle in 8:04.79 set in Rio and the 1500m in 15:20.48, highlight her dominance in the sport. As brands clamor to align with her unparalleled success, Ledecky’s collaboration with Athleta exemplifies a partnership rooted in mutual empowerment and shared values.

Katie Ledecky’s lucrative deal with Athleta

Swimmer Katie Ledecky has announced that she’s signed a deal with Gap Inc’s women’s activewear brand Athleta. It’s also the brand that gymnast Simone Biles is signed with. This gives the idea of how big of a deal it is. It was announced around 5 months before the Summer Olympics were scheduled to commence at the end of July. Julia Leach, Athleta chief creative officer said, “It’s been clear since the start of our conversations with Katie that we have similar values rooted in empowering women and girls through movement. This became the crux of our partnership.” 

The deal is a five-year contract, making it quite long-term. This means that Ledecky is going to be sponsored by them in the 2028 LA Olympics as well. Ledecky said, “I’ve long admired Athleta for recognizing and authentically supporting female athletes’ individual and collective strengths.” Ledecky will be a part of the brand’s “Power of She Collective” which has featured great women around the world, saying, “I’m more than my sport, and I know firsthand how harnessing the ethos of Athleta’s Power of She platform can help empower women and girls.” Athletes, advocates, and mothers are an integral part of the initiative which is focused on the mission of empowerment. 

Some of the other roles Ledecky will embody are participating in Athleta’s “Find Your Movement” campaign, getting involved with wear testing and advisory contributions, and engaging in “The Power of She Fund” initiative focused on increased access in sports for women. Athleta will be Ledecky’s Dry Land apparel sponsor. She will be seen wearing their fits outside of the water. 

How is Katie Ledecky associated with TYR? 

Katie Ledecky also has a lucrative sponsorship deal with TYR, a swimwear apparel company. Considered “one of the most lucrative partnerships in the history of the swim industry,” the deal amounts to $7 million, with over $1 million per year. This places Katie Ledecky’s net worth at $5 million as of 2024. She also has significant earnings from prizes. The deal was announced just after Ledecky turned professional before the Tokyo Olympics, following her departure from Stanford. The contract has been on since the Tokyo Olympics and is seeing a 4-year completion in Paris.

She said swimming is something she really loves and wants to continue doing as long as she can, as long as she’s having fun with it. Adding, “I’m really just enjoying it so much right now. I can’t see the end of it very soon. I’ll take it year by year but I’m really appreciative of the commitment and the investment that TYR has made in me and the support they’re going to show me for these next few years.” Ledecky credited TYR for paying no heed to gender when supporting excellence and she hopes to motivate and inspire girls with the same spirit, “to embrace their value, to dream big and to work hard because big things can happen.” Katie Ledecky’s Olympics dreams for 2024 include defending her 1500m and 800m titles and we’re cheering her on.