Gwen Jorgensen became “Queen of Triathlon” from an accountant working at Ernst & Young in Milwaukee.
Just when she thought her competition days were over, the USA Triathlon headquarters recruiter came up with the life-changing question: Ever consider triathlons?
Since then, Jorgensen has never looked back, dominating the sport of triathlon, winning twelve consecutive ITU world series events.
However, Jorgensen’s husband, Patrick Lemieux, also has a considerable contribution to her success. He sacrificed his pro cycling career to become her full-time caretaker.
After becoming a mom in 2017, she retired from triathlon to pursue her career in the marathon.
Let us look at quick facts before going in-depth about Gwen Jorgensen’s professional and personal life stick with us.
Quick Facts
| Name | Gwen Rosemary Jorgensen |
| Date of Birth | April 25, 1986 |
| Birth Place | Waukesha, Wisconsin, USA |
| Nick Name | Unavailable |
| Age | 36 years old |
| Gender | Female |
| Religion | Unknown |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Unknown |
| Horoscope | Pisces |
| Profession | Athletics |
| Height | 5’9″ (175 cm) |
| Weight | 59 kg (130 lbs) |
| Body Mass Index (BMI) | 19.2 |
| Build | Athletic |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Tattoo | No |
| Father Name | Joel Jorgensen |
| Mother Name | Nancy Jorgensen |
| Siblings | Elizabeth Jorgensen (older sister) |
| Relationship | Married (2016) |
| Husband | Patrick Lemieux (retired pro cyclist) |
| Children | Stanley Lemieux |
| Education |
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| Team | Bowerman Track Club |
| Coach | Bobby McGee |
| Career | Triathlon (2010-2017), Marathon (2017-present) |
| Olympic Record |
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| Personal Best |
|
| Salary | Unavailable |
| Net Worth | $1.5 million |
| Shoe | Nike |
| Social media | Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Facebook |
| Merch | Triathlete Items |
| Last Update | July, 2022 |
Gwen Jorgensen | Early Years and Background
The triathlete Gwen Jorgensen was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, on April 25, 1986. She is presently a resident of Portland, Oregon.
She is Joel and Nancy Jorgensen’s youngest child. Elizabeth Jorgensen is also the name of her older sister.
Nancy is a musician and writer. Elizabeth teaches journalism, composition, and creative writing at Arrowhead High School.
A book titled Go, Gwen, Go A Family’s Journey to Olympic Gold was published in October 2019 by Gwen Jorgensen’s mother and sister.
Jorgensen’s journey to winning an Olympic gold medal is chronicled in the book. It also describes how they raised an Olympic champion as a family.
At her grandmother’s pool, Jorgensen has acquired a taste for swimming. She later started swimming competitively at the age of eight.
In addition to that, she demonstrated her running potential. She ran so quickly in elementary school that her teacher did not realize she had already completed four laps.
Senior High and College
She had a strong swimming reputation while she was only starting high school. She also aspired to compete in the Olympics as a swimmer.
Eric Lehmann, head coach of the Waukesha South High School track team, realized Jorgensen’s easy stride would also work well for long distances.
Later, the coach persuaded Jorgensen’s older sister to sign him up for the track team. Her sister countered by saying she was going swimming.
In order to accommodate Jorgensen, Lehmann changed the rules so that Jorgensen could train and undertake runs in the off-season while swimming.
Jorgensen excelled in swimming and track after graduating from high school and won numerous state titles.
Jorgensen initially had no intention of enrolling at the University of Wisconsin–Madison because she felt that it was too close to her home.
On her first visit, she did, however, fall in love with the campus setting. She was a gifted runner, but she followed her heart and joined the college swimming team.
Over the course of her first three years of college, Jorgensen participated in the Big Ten Swimming Championship.
However, she opted to join the track and cross country club after speaking with her high school track coach after being cut from the NCCA swim squad.
Later, she became an All-American in both cross country and track, proving that her choice had been wise. She also won the Big Ten titles in the 5000 and 3000 meters in 2009.
Jorgensen achieved similar results, winning two cross country and three track NCAA titles.
Jorgensen also won the Big Ten Medal of Honor and was chosen for six Academic All-Big Ten teams in 2009.
Gwen Jorgensen’s Daily Workout Routine
Gwen Jorgensen enjoys working out without taking a break every day of the week. She also exercises her body during her rest day by walking, riding, or swimming.
In essence, she like to include workouts and activities that primarily emphasize speed.
She enjoys going for a run an hour and a half before breakfast in the morning. She then works out in the gym for an additional 1.5 hours.
Similarly, she runs again right before dinner to cap off her day. Weekly, she typically logs 193km of running.
As Jorgensen ages, she has given recuperation extra attention. She has therefore added a sauna to her home.
She also spends about 20 minutes per day in a sauna that is heated to 160 degrees Fahrenheit.
Diet
Jorgensen’s athletic prowess is mostly due to his diet. She follows a straightforward nutrition plan that she uses to fuel her workouts.
Typically, she starts her day with porridge. As for her morning food, she occasionally has yogurt, fruit, or protein bars before working out.
She also enjoys eating a substantial amount of meat and veggies with rice for lunch. She then eats muesli or peanut butter after taking a nap.
In order to refuel her body after the run, she finishes dinner with vegetables, potatoes, and meats.
Beginning of a Professional Career for Gwen Jorgensen
Gwen Jorgensen worked at Ernst & Young in Milwaukee after earning her master’s degree in accounting. She no longer participates in elite competition.
But because she excelled as a runner and swimmer during her time in college, USA Triathlon recruiters saw her potential in the sport.
They then asked a question that would change their lives. Ever contemplate competing in a triathlon? What follows is history.
She chose to try a strenuous sport that involved swimming, cycling, and running despite the fact that she didn’t have a bike at the time.
In 2010, she competed in her first triathlon and finished eighth, earning an elite card at the USAT Elite Development Race.
In her first season, she was named the USA Triathlon Rookie of the Year and Elite Duathlete of the Year.
Olympics
Gwen Jorgensen qualified for the 2012 USA Olympics thanks to her outstanding 2011 campaign. Due to a flat tire on her bike, she unfortunately came in 38th place at the London Olympics. Jorgensen won the gold medal at the Olympics in Rio four years later with a time of 1:56:16.
In addition, she made history by becoming the first American to take home a gold medal in a triathlon.
World Series of ITU
Jorgensen became the first female to reach the milestone in 2014 after winning four straight World Triathlon Series events.
Later, she continued winning, winning 13 straight races in the series to stretch her winning streak to 2015. But at the 2016 Gold Coast event, her incredible streak came to an end.
Marathon
Gwen Jorgensen ran in the New York City Marathon in 2016 for the first time. She came in 14th place with a timing of 2:41:01.
Later, in November 2017, Jorgensen made the unexpected news that he was giving up triathlon to focus on marathon running.
Gwen aimed to become the first woman to win two gold medals at the Olympics in separate sports.
But she sustained a heel ailment as she prepared for the marathon. She was obliged to make a new choice due to the prolonged recuperation procedure.
She chose to compete in track at the USA’s qualifying events for the Tokyo Olympics.
Sadly, she failed to earn a position on the USA track squad, finishing ninth in the 5000-meter race and DNF in the 1000-meter race.
Personal Life of Gwen Jorgensen
In 2016, Gwen Jorgensen wed Patrick Lemieux, a former professional cyclist. The couple also has a son named Stanley, born in 2017.
What year did the couple start dating?
Patrick Lemieux was an avid cyclist growing up in Fargo, North Dakota. He entered numerous cycling competitions in the USA after turning pro in 2011.
In Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in June 2011, the pair first connected while attending group training. Jorgensen was young and just getting her cycling legs ready for the Olympics at the time.
Later, on their first date, he proposed to her over dinner. Patrick also become more eager to assist her because she was new to cycling.
Then they started a distance relationship. Patrick traveled to London for the Olympics to witness Jorgensen’s opening race.
She finished 38th in the race, primarily as a result of a flat tire. Later, she spent roughly three weeks training in Australia in order to be ready for her two events.
Patrick had intended to accompany her as well. Together, they continued to train.
Then, in her final race of the season in New Zealand, she was able to finish in second place. It was also her biggest professional accomplishment at the time.
House-Husband
Like Jorgensen, Patrick was never a world-class athlete. To boost her performance, Jorgensen also realized she needed a daily performance atmosphere.
In order to get ready for the 2016 Rio Olympics, Jorgensen and her husband Patrick opted to relocate overseas for nine months each year.
The pair initially relocated to Wollongong, Australia, in January 2013. Patrick later took a two-year retirement after going pro to work as Jorgensen’s full-time caregiver.
He still performs all the cooking, cleaning, bike preparation, packing, shopping, and other tasks for her wife to this day.
Without her husband, Jorgensen claimed, she would have won an Olympic gold medal.
Patrick’s actions on behalf of his wife must be respected by all. Patrick gave up his riding career to support her wife’s bid for a gold medal.
Net Worth and Sponsors for Gwen Jorgensen
Possibly the wealthiest triathlete is Gwen Jorgensen. Thanks to her sponsors and numerous championship wins.
Jorgensen has no trouble finding sponsors. She now has endorsement agreements with nine different companies. That includes Skratch labs, Polar, Training Peaks, Specialized, Saalt, 2XU, Nike, and Beam, as well as Pete and Gerry’s organic eggs.
In addition to this, she has performed for numerous brands in numerous commercials and advertisements. The pay of Gwen Jorgensen is not made public anywhere. Her estimated net worth is $1.5 million, nevertheless.
Instagram presence
In terms of popularity on social media, Gwen Jorgensen is well-known. She currently has YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram.
She also has about 290k combined social media followers. And She is primarily active on her Instagram and YouTube accounts. She enjoys sharing images and videos of her practice sessions, contests, and family gatherings on Instagram.
Similar to this, she posts vlogs on YouTube that primarily feature training, tutorials, and life updates.
She chronicled a number of episodes relating to the life of a professional runner in 2018 and 2019.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to Gwen Jorgensen?
Gwen Jorgensen left Bowerman Track Club in July 2021 to return to the marathon. She made her announcement on YouTube.
Moreover, Jorgensen mentioned career, and family goals played a role in making the decision.
Did Gwen Jorgensen qualify for the Olympics?
Gwen Jorgensen decided to compete in 5000m and 10000m events in the Tokyo Olympics.
Unfortunately, the former triathlete did not make it to the USA track and field team, finishing ninth and not finishing in another one.
Why did Gwen Jorgensen retire from triathlon?
In 2017, Gwen Jorgensen left triathlon to pursue full-time training to win a gold medal in a marathon event at Tokyo Olympics.
However, she didn’t compete in the USA marathon trials due to extended heel surgery recovery.
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