Last updated on: July 29, 2024

Lee Kiefer was born on June 15, 1994, and is a foil fencer from the United States. She created history by winning gold in women’s individual foil at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

As of December 2024, Lee Kiefer is 30 years and 6 months old, her estimated net worth is $1.5 million, and she stands at a height of 5 feet 4 inches (163 cm or 1.63 m) tall.

Bio / Wiki

Full Name

Lee Kiefer

Nickname

Lee 

Profession

Athlete

Career

Lee was born into a family passionate about fencing, Lee picked up the foil early, guided by her father and sister, and swiftly moved from playful bouts to serious competitions.

She first caught the world’s eye at the 2012 London Olympics, and she didn’t stop there. She competed again in Rio in 2016 and truly made her mark in Tokyo 2020, where she won the gold and became the first American foil fencer to win an individual Olympic gold medal.

In the 2024 Paris Olympics, she defended her title and got another gold. With this, she joined the elite ranks of athletes who have won back-to-back Olympic titles.

What makes Lee Kiefer’s story even more remarkable is her parallel pursuit of a medical career. She studying for medical exams while training for Olympic gold! That’s Lee’s world. After her undergraduate days at the University of Notre Dame, she dove into medical school at the University of Kentucky, all while keeping her eyes on the Olympic prize. Form this you can imagine her ability.

Debut

2012 London Games

Best Known for

As an American right-handed foil fencer

Personal Profile and Background Details

Date of Birth

15 June 1994

Age

As of today, Lee is 30 years, 6 months, and 16 days old.

Zodiac sign

Gemini

Nationality

American

Birth Place

Cleveland

Residence

Lexington

School / College / University

Paul Laurence Dunbar High School (Graduated in 2012)

University of Notre Dame

• Fenced for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish from 2012-2017
• Won 4 NCAA Women’s Foil individual titles in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2017
• Helped Notre Dame win the NCAA team title in 2017
• Graduated in 2017 with a Bachelor’s degree in pre-professional studies

University of Kentucky College of Medicine

Started in 2017 and in 2021 took a break to focus on training for the Tokyo Olympics. In 2022 she resumed her studies and is currently a third-year student.

Religion

Christianity

Race / Ethnicity

Filipino from the Mother’s side and Native American descent from the father’s side.

Food Habits

Non-vegetarian

Hobbies

Traveling

Tattoo

Not known

Physical Attributes and Measurements

Height

• In feet: 5′ 4″
• In Centimetres: 163 cm
• In meters: 1.63 m

Weight

• In kilograms: 49 kg
• In Pounds: 108 lbs

Body Measurements

32-24-29 Inches

Shoe size

8 US

Dress size 

6 US

Bra size 

32B

Eye color

Black

Hair Color

Black

Family

Lee Kiefer was born into a family where fencing is almost a tradition. Her father is a pro fencer, he captained the fencing team at Duke University during the 1980s. Her mother is Teresa Kiefer, she is from the Philippines and immigrated to the United States as a child, Teresa is a psychiatrist.

Lee has 2 siblings an older sister named Alexandra and a younger brother named Axel.

Her sister Alexandra is a is also a decorated fencer. She won the NCAA championship in foil fencing for Harvard in 2011. She is now married to Valentín Staller and they have a daughter.

Axel is also a fencer. He is a Psychiatry graduate from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. For a long time, he is dating a college fencer Samantha Viqueira.

In terms of personal family, Lee married his long-time boyfriend Gerek Meinhardt. Gerek is also a pro fencer and a two-time team Olympic bronze medalist. Together they have an adorable son.

Wife

Gerek Meinhardt (2019—Present)

Father

Steven Kiefer

Mother

Teresa Kiefer

Siblings

Axel Kiefer (Younger brother)

Alexandra Kiefer (Elder sister)

Children

She has a son, and his name is not known.

Others

Teresita Oropilla (maternal grandmother) (Retired Physician) (Studied at the University of Sto. Tomas, Manila)

Relationship & More

Marital Status

Married to Gerek Meinhardt

Marriage Date

September 2019

Boyfriend and Dating History

Gerek Meinhardt (2012–Present)

The relationship really started at the 2012 Olympics in London, though Lee Kiefer and Gerek Meinhardt had known each other from junior fencing. It was during the Olympics that Kiefer had a crush on Meinhardt and made the first move.

Their relationship evolved into something serious by the time of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. In 2019, they both sealed their bond by getting married, moving forward, following their dreams in both fencing and medicine.

In particular, it was bonded during the COVID-19 pandemic when they trained together at home, which helped them not to lose sharpness while most other athletes were disrupted. For instance, this training partnership laid a foundation for Kiefer to take her gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, with Meinhardt in the stands cheering her on.

The shared background—both hail from strict, loving Asian-American families—gives Kiefer and Meinhardt something to relate to. Both of them help each other through the rigors of elite athletics.

Net worth 2024

$1.5 million

As of December 2024, it’s estimated that Lee Kiefer has a net worth of about $1.5 million.

Lee has captured Olympic gold medals. At times, prize money accompanies winning these types of larger competitions. Generally, the amount that reaches a gold medal winner in the United States is $37,500 for every gold medal won.

Because Lee is so great at fencing, companies that sell fencing gear or even sporty clothing may pay her to endorse their stuff. She can pull in more money from these deals, although we couldn’t tell how much since it remains private.

Fencers like Lee often get help from sports groups that offer them money to help fund things like travel to competitions and training costs. This helps her keep playing the sport without too much money worry.

Lee is also studying to be a doctor. Indeed, doctors normally have quite a good remunerative job, so once she gets into medical practice, she will likely get a steady income.

Lee’s unique story of being both an Olympian and a medical student makes her an exceptional speaker at events. She might also make money talking at events or writing about her experiences.

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House

Pets

Social Media Profiles

Twitter

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Instagram

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