As Caeleb Dressel’s prowess has grown into worldwide status, parents Christina and Michael, have always found a way financially to fly and watch their son compete against the best in the world.

“Sometimes people don’t know that we had three more swimmers that were also state champion caliber, NCAA caliber, and even Olympic Trials caliber along the way,” said Christina of son Tyler, now 32, who made it to the finals of the 50 free in high school, daughters Kaitlin Dressel, 31, a state high school champion, an NCAA qualifier for Florida State University, and an Olympic Trials qualifier and Sherridon, 25, who was the last state champion, an NCAA qualifier also at the University of Florida, an Olympics Trials qualifier.

“We started our travels to watch them compete when Kaitlyn in sixth grade went to nationals, but Caeleb’s trip to Dubai for the junior worlds was our first international meet,” Christina said. “We missed that one because we didn’t know we were allowed to go. I don’t think we’ve missed one other than that in nearly 20 years. We find a way.”

The Dressels mainly travel as a couple for the trips, but they have had one or two of their children along. The Olympic Games at Rio de Janeiro was the last time all five traveled to see Caeleb swim.

“That was a mess because you can’t book anything until after the Olympic Trials, and then trying to get a hotel is almost impossible,” Christina said. “The plane tickets can be refunded most times.”

Caeleb Dressel’s list of titles is impressive, dating back to 2011 with a 13-14 National age group record in the 50 freestyle, a junior World championship medalist in Dubai, as well as state champion as a high schooler and a freshman 100 butterfly champion as a Florida Gator.

Dressel, now 27, continued his dominance with a first sub-19 second 50 free as a Florida junior on his way to several SEC and NCAA titles and records through his senior season when he was selected NCAA Male Swimmer of Year.

“In hindsight, that is a lot of meets and a lot of traveling that we have been lucky enough to go to,” the mother said. “This time, with Caeleb returning to the Olympics Trials in Indianapolis in mid-June, we wanted to share our experience with the Clay High and Clay County community. That has kept an eye on him all these years, just like Michael and me.”

The Dressels are planning a Watch Party at The Church of Eleven22 on Fleming Island on June 22 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., inviting local fans to join the community to watch their famous graduate and champion attempt to return to world status and return to the Olympics.

“We want to surprise Caeleb by bringing his entire family; Michael and me, his siblings, his wife and his son, to Paris after the Olympic Trials July 26-Aug. 11,” Christina said. “Michael and I have been able to get the both of us and the siblings when we can, but this one will be special and possibly his last. We want to see if the community can come along for the ride.”

Dressel withdrew abruptly from the 2022 World Swimming Championships in Budapest, Hungary, after qualifying for the 100-meter butterfly semifinals, earning gold medals in the 4 x 100 free relay, and winning the 50 butterfly world title, citing non-physical reasons.

“He needed a break, simply so,” Christina said. “He had been swimming at a high level for a long time. As his mother, I see his happiness in being back in the pool. He never really talked about it because, at the time, his life was very fragile.”

After nearly eight months of self-awareness therapy, building a family with wife Meghan and new son, August, now in his corner, Caeleb has slowly rebuilt his body to near-world level status with a series of fast times in pro meets throughout the United States.

“He knows his body better than anyone on the planet, and his times for the past six to eight months have been a good sign that he is enjoying swimming again. He is just about ready to enter the world stage,” Christina said, noting Caeleb has been on a media blackout prior to his preparations for the Trials. “No matter what he does at Trials and maybe the Olympics, as long as he is happy, I’m happy.”

According to the U.S. Olympics Trials heat sheets, Dressel’s name, though stationed at the top of numerous events, indicates an American record, a Long Course record, a U.S. Open record, a Junior World record, or a World record for the specific event, does not have Dressel at the top spot of potential swimmers in his record-setting events for the upcoming Trials.

“I don’t ever look at heat sheets,” Christina said. “He is in the best frame of mind I have ever seen him. I don’t know how he practices, and I don’t pay much attention to the results. But when I see him, I see him happy. He knows what he and his coaches are doing.”

In the 100 free, Dressel is no longer the world record holder. China swimmer Zhanle Pan broke his record with a 46.80 split in February while Dressel still holds the American record of 46.96 seconds set in 2019.

In the heat sheet, Dressel is ranked 10th with a 48.30 split set in 2024 with six Americans in less than 48 seconds, led by California’s Jack Alevy.

In the 50 free, the world record set in 2009 by Brazilian Cesar Cielo Filho is 20.91 seconds, with Dressel the American record at 21.04 (2019), the LC Nationals record at 21.29 (2022) and the U.S. Open record at 21.04 (2021).

For the Trials, Ryan Held of New York is the top qualifier at 21.50, with Dressel in fifth at 21.84 and Alexy second at 21.57. The top 10 in the 50 free listings are all quicker than 22 seconds, making the Trials race a race of microseconds.

In the 100 butterfly, Dressel owns four of the five records set in 2021 (49.45 world, 49.45 American, 49.76 LC Nationals, 49.76 U.S. Open). Dressel is close to the best in America, with Dare Rose of California at 50.46, Shaine Casas second at 50.80, and Dressel third at 50.84. All three butterfly specialists are the only three under 51 seconds.

“He’s really not that stressed and says he’s having fun,” his mother said. “You can’t put into words what his family means to him, Meghan and August.”

In an article on SwimSwam.com, one of the top international swimming coverage websites, Dressel is ranked as the 29th best swimmer in the world.

From SwimSwam: The big question on everyone’s mind since the summer of 2022 will be answered this year. Will Caeleb Dressel make an impact again on the global stage? In time for Paris 2024? The seven-time Olympic gold medalist and world champion several times over and has not returned to peak form since he pulled out of the 2022 World Championships. This past summer, Dressel placed as high as third at U.S. Nationals in the 50 fly and fifth in the 100 fly.

At the U.S. Open in December, Dressel won the 100 fly in 51.31, his fastest time since April of 2022 and one that currently sits fifth in the world rankings and No. 2 among Americans. Like all sprinters, his path to qualifying in the freestyle events is very uncertain, but no doubt appears more difficult due to the emergence of Jack Alexy.

Dressel, who recently pulled out of the Knoxville Pro Swim Series meet due to the impending birth of his first child, certainly has a high chance of medaling at the Olympics but will first have to make the team.

The top 10 swimmers include France’s Leon Marchand, a butterfly specialist more suited to win the Individual Medley events, 200 and 400. Marchand may see Dressel in relays.

Second is China’s Qin Huyang, which is mainly a breaststroker. The top American is distance ace Bobby Finke, a double gold Olympian in 2021 and a Florida Gator. Finke and Dressel also have women’s champion Katie Ledecky in the Florida camp, while four-time Olympic backstroke gold and former world recorder holder Ryan Murphy is listed as No. 1 for the 100 and 200 backstroke.

Murphy and Dressel have been swim cohorts since they were about 8 in North Florida and in the Bolles Sharks Swim Club, Olympic and World Championship teams.