Chad Hedrick is a professional speed skater and a figure skater. Chad Hedrick has won 50 world titles and 93 national championships in his career. He also has an inline skating wheel brand named after him. Chad is a household name in the world of ice speed skating.
He won a pair of silver and bronze (Olympic medals) in the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, cementing his Olympic legacy.
With this, the American-born athlete has won a total of five Olympic medals.
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Childhood and Background
Chad Hedrick was born on April 17, 1977, in Spring, Texas, United States of America, and is an inline speed skater.
His father, Paul Hedrick, and mother, Wanda Hedrick, gave birth to him.
He grew up in Spring, Texas, alongside his sister, Natalie. Hedrick has also been skating since he was two years old.
Soon after, he began skating with his friends at his parents’ rink.
Chad was also a National Champion when he was only eight years old.
Since then, he has grown at an exponential rate, becoming World Champion at the age of sixteen.
Furthermore, the technique he frequently employed became known as the double push.
Then it became a norm for elite skaters all over the world to show off their skills and skill.
Height, Weight, and Age
Chad Hedrick has maintained an athletic body at the age of 45 as a former ice speed skater.
As he periodically exhibits his skill on Ice, he is a prime example of the phrase “age is just a number.”
He also maintains his fitness with a tight diet and a daily workout routine.
Hedrick is a robust man who is 5 feet and 10 inches tall. He also weighs roughly 78 kilograms.
Chad is as light as a feather on the Ice, despite his enormous physical height.
Furthermore, his adaptability has helped him to perform quick moves with precision.
Facts of Chad Hedrick
| Name | Chad Hedrick |
| Nickname | The Exception/ The Paris Hilton of Speedskating |
| Birthdate | April 17, 1977 |
| Age | 45 years old |
| Birthplace | Spring, Texas, USA |
| Parents | Paul Hedrick & Wanda Hedrick |
| Sibling | Natalie Hedrick |
| Height | 5’10″/1.78 m |
| Weight | 78 kg/172 lb |
| Body type | Athletic |
| Eye color | Light brown |
| Hair color | Black |
| Skin | Fair |
| Education | Brill, Strack, and Klein High |
| Profession | Speed skater Figure skater |
| Current status | Retired |
| Olympic accomplishments | 3 medals (Gold, Silver & Bronze) |
| Skill | Double push |
| Relationship status | Married |
| Wife | Lynsey Elizabeth Adams |
| Marriage Date | June 7, 2008. |
| Wedding location | Houston, Texas |
| Featured TV show | “Whose Wedding Is It Anyway” |
| Children | Hadley, Harper, and Hogan |
| Social Media | Instagram |
| Brand | DP52 Racing |
| Net Worth | $18 million |
| Merch | Olympic Cut Signature, Autographed FDC |
| Last Update | May 2022 |
Salary and Net Worth
Chad Hedrick’s net worth is estimated to be over $18 million.
Chad is currently a licensed realtor with eXp Realty, where he goes from gold to sell.
Professional Skating
Skating on inline skates
Derek Parra, a former inline skater turned ice skater, was an inspiration to Chad. Derek’s gold medal at the 2002 Olympics left him star-struck.
As a result, Hedrick decided to switch to the Ice. Chad won the World All-round Speed Skating Championships in February 2004 after only one year of ice training.
Chad even broke the world record by lowering it to 150.478 points throughout the competition.
He also set six world records by being the first man to skate 6.2 miles (10,000 meters) in less than 13 minutes.
Moreover, on March 12, 2004, Chad lived up to his reputation by capturing the gold medal in the 5,000 meters event. Seoul, South Korea hosted the World Single Distance Championships.
Hedrick also successfully defended his 5,000m world title at Inzell, Germany, in the same year.
In 2005, he was defeated by Shani Davis in the World All-round Speed Skating Championships.
Despite this, Hedrick, called The Exception, has remained a well-known figure, ranking third in an unofficial world ranking.
The Fearsome Ice Man
Because of his skill and talent on the ice, Hedrick gained the moniker “Iceman” from his adoring fans.
Despite being new to skating, Chad did not disappoint and continued to improve each time.
He was also given the Oscar Mathisen Statuette in 2004 just a few years after his debut.
Similarly, the award is granted only to the best speed skater performer in the world for that particular year.
Hedrick also established himself as one of the world’s greatest long-distance skaters.
In November and December of 2005, he established world records in the 10,000, 5,000, and 1,500 meters.
Olympic Experience
Chad opted to go to the Winter Olympics in 2006 to win the three major events. Hedrick also projected that he would tie Eric Heiden for the most gold medals with five.
His legacy was cemented when he won gold at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games (5,000m event).
Chad defeated top challenger Sven Kramer of the Netherlands to win the prestigious honor.
Shani Davis and Chad, on the other hand, got into a fight during the team chase.
Shani chose not to compete because it would interfere with his 1,000m event, which sparked the incident.
Davis, on the other hand, should have run in the race to help bolster their lineup, according to Hedrick.
Shani also made the correct decision by opting out of the team pursuit, according to Eric Heiden, an Olympic team physician, and five-time gold medalist.
Davis’ chances of winning the gold medal, which he won, would have been shattered.
As a result of Shani Davis’ absence, the US pursuit team struggled and finished sixth.
Despite this, Chad ended the Olympics with three medals. He also became the third American to win three consecutive Olympic medals in figure skating.
Chad also competed in international speed skating, coming fourth in the 2008 World All-around event.
At the age of 17 months, Chad, one of the most renowned ice speed skaters, trod on a pair of inline skaters.
Chad put his sights on greatness after that tragic incident. He won 52 World Championships and nine World Overall Championships in a row.
In addition, in 2002, he moved to ice skating and won the World All-around Championship in less than two years.
All good things must come to an end, and Chad announced his retirement in 2010, at the age of 33.
The exceptional skater now travels the United States giving motivating lectures.
Chad also gives his time to the ministry of “Double Push.”
He speaks to the audience about how his faith was essential in his success in the initiative.
Along with these endeavors, he founded “DP52 Racing,” a speed skating equipment company.
He has also organized the ‘Chad Hedrick Foundation,’ which has raised thousands of dollars for the Special Olympics.
Wife, Children, and Marriage
Chad is a happily married man with a supporting and loving family.
On June 7, 2008, he married his long-time lover, Elizabeth Adams.
Their wedding ceremony took place in a secret setting in Houston, Texas, with only a few select guests.
Their wedding was also featured on the Style Network reality show “Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?”
In addition, the couple welcomed their first kid in 2009, not long after their marriage.
Hadley, their oldest child, was born in March 2009.
Harper, their second child, was born in December of 2010.
In 2014, the couple welcomed their third child, a son called Hogan.
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Social Media Presence
Chad is well-known on social media sites like Twitter and Instagram.
Chad has amassed a whopping 14.5k Twitter followers.
His Twitter account allows you to keep up with his business and personal life.
He is, on the other hand, rather active on Instagram. On Instagram, he has over 11.5k followers.
