Gretsch made her Paralympic debut at the 2018 PyeongChang Games, where she became the first American athlete to win biathlon gold at either the Paralympics or Olympics. She left PyeongChang with two medals (both gold).
With her triathlon win in Tokyo, Gretsch becomes only the fifth American – and third U.S. woman – to win gold at both the summer and winter Paralympic Games.
CLICK HERE to view NBC Sports coverage, and video of the exciting finish.
Gretsch, a 2010 graduate of Downers Grove North High School, played clarinet in the DGN Bands and was a member of the District 99 Honors Band. Following her time at DGN she attended Washington University in St. Louis, studying Biomedical Engineering and developing a 3D-printed prosthetic arm that cost just a fraction of the price of similar prosthetics and was noticeably lighter in weight.
In the summer of 2012, Gretsch who was born with spina bifida, made her first run at a triathlon at a camp in Chicago. For the triathlon, she had to learn how to use a hand cycle for the biking portion. She acquainted herself with a racing wheelchair for the running events. Upon completing her first race, there was no doubt about it. She was hooked
“You talk to a lot of people who do triathlons, and they’ll say if you do the first one, it kind of hooks (you) from there,” she said. “That’s what happened with me.”
Congratulations Kendall; the entire District 99 community is immensely proud of you!