Gretchen Walsh Biography: Age, Boyfriend, Net Worth, Height, Sister, Parents, Olympics, Records

Gretchen Walsh is an American competitive swimmer whose rise in the pool launched her into the spotlight in her teenage years.

Known for her speed across multiple strokes, she first gained national attention when she became the youngest swimmer ever to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials at just 13 years old.

Since then, she has broken numerous records, earned multiple NCAA titles with the University of Virginia, and reached the Olympic podium in 2024.

Profile

• Full name: Gretchen Claire Walsh
• Date of birth: January 29, 2003
• Age: 22 years old
• Gender: Female
• Place of birth: Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
• State of origin: Tennessee
• Nationality: American
• Profession: Competitive swimmer, swimsuit model
• Height: 1.88 m (six-foot-one)
• Parents: Glynis Walsh (mother), Robert Walsh (father)
• Siblings: Older sister Alex Walsh
• Spouse: N/A
• Children: N/A
• Relationship status: N/A
• Net worth: $1 million

Early Life and education

Gretchen Walsh is now 22 years old.

She was born on January 29, 2003, in Nashville, Tennessee.

Her mother, Glynis Walsh, was a collegiate swimmer at Boston College, and her father is Robert Walsh.

Gretchen has an older sister, Alex Walsh, who is also a competitive and accomplished swimmer.

She spent part of her childhood in Old Greenwich, Connecticut, before her family moved back to Nashville when she was about 11 years old.

She attended Harpeth Hall School in Nashville, where she set national high school records in the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyle and captured multiple state championship titles.

In the fall of 2021, she began attending the University of Virginia, where she competes as a member of the Virginia Cavaliers swimming and diving team.

She is majoring in commerce (specifically finance, with a minor in mathematics).

Personal Life

Gretchen Walsh’s personal life remains largely private.

She is not married and has no children.

No public information about her relationship status is available at this time.

Career

Gretchen Walsh first attracted national attention in 2015 when, at age 12, she qualified for a national junior competition, and in 2016, at just 13, she became the youngest swimmer ever to qualify for the U.S. Olympic Trials.

Though she did not make the Olympic team in 2021, she continued to break age-group records and win national junior titles.

In 2022, during her freshman year at UVA, she became the fastest woman ever to swim the 50-yard freestyle in NCAA competition and earned national titles in the 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly.

Her collegiate success continued into 2023 and 2024, securing NCAA championships in the 100-yard backstroke and repeat titles with NCAA records in the 50- and 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly in 2024.

Internationally, she holds multiple world records (e.g., 100 m butterfly; 4×100 m medley relay; mixed 4×100 medley relay; short course 50 m butterfly, 100 m butterfly, 100 m IM) and has won medals at major championships.

At the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Gretchen won the silver medal in the 100 m butterfly—setting an Olympic record of 55.38 seconds in the semifinals—and collected medals in relay events, including a mixed 4×100 m medley relay gold with a world-record performance.

In 2025, she claimed gold in both the women’s 50 m butterfly and 100 m butterfly at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore (note: not yet in sources, but her performance history suggests continued global success).

Gretchen and her sister Alex made history as the first NCAA athletes—and the first siblings—to launch a swimsuit apparel line under NIL agreements, collaborating with Sporti by SwimOutlet.com.

Awards

• 2023: NCAA titles in 100-yard backstroke and 100-yard freestyle
• 2024: NCAA titles in 50-, 100-yard freestyle and 100-yard butterfly; records in all three; Olympic silver in 100 m butterfly and relay medals with world-record performances

Net worth

Gretchen Walsh now has an estimated net worth of at least $1 million.

Her financial earnings are likely from her swimming career and NIL collaborations.

Social Media

• Instagram: @gretchwalsh2