Kendall Gretsch is a three-time Paralympic champion – winning two golds at the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Paralympic Games and another at the summer games in Tokyo three years later. 

American Gretsch was born in Downers Grove, Illinois in April 1992 and was born with Spina bifida – a birth defect in which there is an incomplete closing of the spine and membrane around the spinal cord. 

Kendall began her career as a swimmer, competing for her high school swim team and became involved in paratriathlon during her sophomore year in college when she was encouraged to join a local club, Dare2Tri. 

In 2014, Gretsch earned the honour of being named USA Triathlon Female Paratriathlete of the Year, and a year later she was nominated for an ESPY in the Best Female Athlete with a disability category. 

Gretsch spends the summer focusing and training for paratriathlon, and the winter shifting her focus to paraskiing. She is coached by USA Paratriathlon’s Derick Williamson, a three-time Paralympic medalist himself. 

Away from triathlon, Gretsch earned a degree in Bio Medical Engineering from Washington University in St Louis.  

 

Kendall Gretsch record and results

Kendall has been a dominant force in the PT1 and PTWC categories since her debut on the professional circuit in 2014. In all but one of her races she has either taken victory or finished second on the podium. 

Her 2014 season consisted of four races and four victories, taking victory at the PATCO Pan American Championships, ITU Magog, the ITU Grand Final in Edmonton and the USA Paratriathlon National Championship. 

2015 led to a further quartet of victories as Kendall extended her winning streak on the World Triathlon circuit to eight races. A second successive national title was complemented by the CMATRI American Championship, ITU Detroit and the ITU Grand Final in Chicago. 

Heading into the Paralympic year in 2016, Gretsch continued to dominate with wins at the CAMTRI American Championships – for a second straight year – and picked up at first world title in Rotterdam – however, she didn’t compete at the Rio de Janeiro Games as he category was not selected to compete at the games. 

A solo appearance in 2018 – a third national title – was unsurprising as the American pursued Winter Paralympic Gold as a cross-country skier and biathlete. Gretsch took double gold in the 6km sitting biathlon and 12k sitting cross-country. 

Gretsch returned to the triathlon fold in the 2018 season earning victories at the US National Championship and ITU Magog, but did finish off the top step of the podium for the first time at ITU Sarasota-Bradenton – Brazilian Jessica Ferreira taking the honours. 

Seven races in 2019 brought just the three victories – the COMTRI American Championships in Sarasota-Bradenton, ITU Besancon and another national title – but was bested by Brit Jade Hall in Yokohama, German Christiane Reppe in Magog, and Australian Lauren Parker in the Lausanne Grand Final. A fifth-place finish at ITU Tokyo the lone outlier in a storied career to date. 

Heading into 2021, Gretsch returned to her dominant form, going undefeated through the year. After winning the Yokohama Paralympic test event, she added wins in Leeds and at the Americas Triathlon Championship in Pleasant Prairie. 

At Tokyo 2020, Gretch took Paralympic gold – becoming the first athlete to win at both the summer and winter games. Kendall – an H2 athlete who started four minutes behind rival Lauren Parker – an H1 athlete – gained 73 seconds through the swim and T1, a further 91 seconds on the bike and in T2 meaning she was left with a 76 second deficit on the run. 

Gretch closed down her Australian rival with just one second to spare, pipping her on the line to take the Paralympic title. 

Since that memorable win in Tokyo, Gretsch finished as the runner-up in eight consecutive World Triathlon Para Series and World Triathlon Para Cup races, before finally tasting victory again in the Open Para Triathlon Mixed Relay in Pontevedra in 2023.

In 2024, the American started her season with fourth place at the World Triathlon Para Series in Yokohama and second place at the World Triathlon Para Series in Swansea, before taking the win at the World Triathlon Para Series in Montreal, just weeks out from the Paris Paralympics.