Swimmer Caeleb Dressel and his wife Meghan's journey together spans three Olympic Games and the arrival of their baby

Meghan Dressel has been supporting her husband, swimmer Caeleb Dressel, since 2013, and recently witnessed him and his teammates achieve gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Caeleb, aged 27, is no stranger to success, having notably won five gold medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

However, their first gold medal in Paris, earned on Saturday, July 27, in the men’s 4×100 meter freestyle relay, was especially meaningful with Meghan and their 5-month-old son, August, cheering him on. For Caeleb, their support meant more than any victory.

"It was incredibly meaningful," Dressel expressed to NBC reporters following Saturday's race. "Having my son witness me win a gold medal means everything to me." Reflecting on the race, he added, "In that last 50, my goal was just to secure the gold for these guys. It's a very special moment and exactly what we came here to achieve. Making the team was a tough journey, but winning by over a second was satisfying. This is what we set out to do, and we did it in style."

Meghan and Caeleb's relationship began in high school back in 2013 when both were competitive swimmers in their native Florida, even competing together on the same team at Bolles School Sharks. Caeleb shared with FINA Aquatics World Magazine in April 2020 that they both swam in the late-night group at Bolles because they didn't attend school there.

He observed that she primarily swam breaststroke but stopped competing to pursue her goal of becoming a child-family counselor.

The Paris Olympics are the third time Caeleb and Meghan have participated as a couple, but their first as parents, following the birth of their son August in February.

After nearly a decade together and two previous Olympics, Caeleb and Meghan got married in February 2021. (Caeleb had previously competed for Team USA in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics and then again in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.)

While the Paris Games marked their third Olympic appearance together as a couple, it was also their debut as parents, having welcomed their son August earlier in the year. On Saturday, Meghan was seen cheering Caeleb on from the sidelines, holding August in her arms.

2013

Caeleb and Meghan first crossed paths during their high school years while both were competitive swimmers in Florida. "We grew up swimming together but lived 45 minutes apart," she shared with First Coast News in August 2021.

In 2020, Meghan posted a nostalgic Valentine's Day message on Instagram featuring a photo of them as teenagers. She expressed, "I've loved you since 2013 and I look forward to loving you forever."

Referring to the romantic film "The Notebook" released in 2004, she added, "What began with these two kids madly in love has blossomed into a lifetime commitment that rivals the love story of Noah and Allie."

2016

Meghan supported Caeleb during the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, despite the long-distance nature of their relationship in previous years. In 2016, she mentioned to Odyssey that being apart had actually benefited their relationship.

"We've managed to make it work for two years while living in different parts of the state," she remarked in September. "I believe dealing with the distance has strengthened our bond as a couple."

2019

The couple revealed their engagement in November, which Meghan subsequently celebrated on Instagram as the "easiest yes" of her life.

Caeleb recounted the proposal to First Coast News, saying, "I proposed at our original meeting spot. We were long-distance for, technically, seven years. We never lived in the same city, so we had a meeting spot at the Shands Pier. I took her there, and she thought we were doing a photo shoot. I proposed right there at the old pier."

2021

Caeleb and Meghan got married on February 13, 2021, in an outdoor ceremony surrounded by loved ones in Jacksonville, Florida.

2024

In February, Meghan welcomed her and Caeleb's first child, son August. "Our baby boy arrived swiftly and powerfully into our arms on Saturday morning," Meghan shared on Instagram on February 19. "Mom and Dad were fully engaged, and we achieved the natural birth we had hoped and prepared for."

Meghan described August as a "perfect, healthy, chunky baby boy." A few months later, she brought him to cheer on his dad at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, where Caeleb achieved Team USA's first gold of the games.

Regarding fatherhood, Dressel reflected on Olympics.com in July, saying, "It has probably impacted my swimming more negatively than positively, but it has certainly taught me patience. It's forced me to slow down. Leading up to Paris 2024, my focus has been on being a father and swimming."

He added, "It's a different routine for sure, but not necessarily a bad one. It's been incredibly fulfilling, and I've cherished embracing this role alongside Meghan."