Superstar Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky is one of 19 people who will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom from United States President Joe Biden on Friday.
According to ESPN, Ledecky is one of two athletes who will be honored by Biden, along with Olympian Jim Thorpe, who died in 1953.
Ledecky, 27, has competed at each of the past three Olympics, and she will represent Team USA at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Ledecky is already a 10-time Olympic medalist, including seven golds.
The Presidential Medal of Freedom is known as the highest civilian award in the U.S., and this year's crop of recipients is made up of those who accomplished historic firsts, per ESPN.
Ledecky has starred on the world stage for over a decade, winning gold in the 800-meter freestyle at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London at the age of 15.
Since then, she has set a plethora of records, including in the 800- and 1,500-meter freestyle races.
Additionally, Ledecky's six individual Olympic gold medals are the most ever by a women's swimmer, and her 16 individual gold medals at the world championships are the most in history by a woman or man.
In total, Ledecky has 21 gold medals and 26 total medals at the world championships, both of which are records for a female swimmer.
Thorpe is viewed as one of the greatest all-around athletes of all time, as he excelled in multiple sports.
In 1912, Thorpe won Olympic gold medals in the decathlon and pentathlon in Stockholm, making him the first Native American to win an Olympic gold medal while representing the United States.
Thorpe also went on to play in the NFL and Major League Baseball, and he is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
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