Olympic swimmers Katie Ledecky, Phoebe Bacon and Erin Gemmell come home to their alma mater, Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart
Stone Ridge School of the Sacred Heart, an all-girls Catholic school for grades 1–12 in Bethesda, Maryland, was thrilled to cheer on alumnae Katie Ledecky ʼ15, Phoebe Bacon ʼ20, and Erin Gemmell ʼ23 as they competed with Team USA in the Paris Olympics this summer. Before diving into their busy fall schedules – Bacon and Gemmell returning to college and Ledecky balancing book tours for her recently released New York Times bestseller “Just Add Water,” visiting family, and TV appearances – these three Olympians made time to stop by their alma mater.
Gemmell, a newly minted silver medalist who anchored the U.S. women’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay team, swimming after Ledecky, surprised Stone Ridge employees during their orientation with a Q&A session led by Head of School Catherine Karrels ʼ86. She provided an insider’s view of the Olympic experience, from the excitement of meeting world-class athletes from around the world and training with Team USA in Croatia, to the not-so-glamorous aspects, such as the often unsuccessful hunt for chicken in the dining room.