Strenk represented the United States at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.

[1] He swam for the gold medal-winning U.S. team in the preliminary heats of the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay.

Prior to the 1968 Olympics, Strenk was a member of the U.S. national team assembled for the 1967 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada, where he won a bronze medal in the men's 1,500-meter freestyle with a time of 17:03.43.

Strenk attended the University of Southern California, where he swam for the USC Trojans swimming and diving team.

[4] He later returned to Southern Cal and completed his doctorate in European history, and served as a lecturer at his alma mater.