OMAHA, NE - My younger brother’s name is Caeleb Dressel and, I think, anyone who follows international swimming is aware of him. Throughout his career as a swimmer, Caeleb has earned several records as well as college titles. He has three swimming siblings, including myself, Tyler Dressel, 24, Kaitlyn, 23, and Sherridon, 18. Each of us have competed in the Florida state championships, two of us; Caeleb and Kaitlyn (with FSU) have been to the NCAA championships and one of us is about to embark on college swimming; Sherridon at Florida. Three (Not me) have won a lot of state gold medals. Growing up as the eldest of four has granted me with a front row seat for the separate progressions of my brother and two sisters in relation to the sport of competitive swimming.

As a swimmer at Clay High School (10th in Class 2A 50 free, 12th in 100 free in 2010 as a senior), I have experienced the physical and mental toll of the sport, but I have also witnessed the beneficial consequences that it has had on each of my siblings. As a proud brother, I could go off on a rant about my younger sisters, but for the sake of relevance to the nearing of the 2016 Olympic Games, I am going to focus on my “little” brother, Caeleb Dressel, and his acknowledgeable growth both in and outside of the pool over these past years. By the way, sister Kaitlyn will compete in the 50 free at the Trials.

At an early age, Caeleb displayed raw talent and a natural sense for the water at Clay High School as he replaced all of my senior swimming records with those of his own as an incoming freshman. However, replacing my records did not come as a surprise just the quickness that he did it. As his prowess grew over the next six years, titles, such as Junior World Champion, NCAA All American and National Age Group Record Holder, were significant milestones for Caeleb that promoted his recognition among the world of competitive swimming. It's not that I “expected” him to accomplish what he did or that anyone necessarily pressured him into establishing himself as a recognizable swimmer worldwide, however, I can’t say that I did not see it coming. Caeleb achieved what he did alongside the training of his coaches and with the support from those that were close to him. But at the end of the day, he simply did it.

To the surprise of many people, swimming was not an overly dominant factor of Caeleb’s early life. As a senior in high school with unending scholarships and college offers at hand, Caeleb spent months out of the water and took up track and field, rugby, soccer and even football. To this day, the back of his truck is filled with sports equipment due to the years of accumulation. In terms of athletics, my brother’s skill set was sound; strong, flexible, great ball-eye coordination, etc., and, in my opinion, he would have excelled in anything he dedicated himself to. Competitiveness was not lost in our family.

Nevertheless, there was something about his way in the water that he could not deny. Despite these months spent without practice or conditioning, Caeleb returned to the pool and delivered results that would fool his extended absence.

On the separate occasions that I spoke to Caeleb about going off to college, he made it clear that he was eager to begin school at the University of Florida but I was aware that some apprehension existed. I believe that Caeleb began to finally embrace his personal value as a swimmer. His worth as an addition to a college level team, much like his staying at Clay High School rather than attend Bolles where he excelled at the club level, became apparent as he began to accept his capacity to swim professionally and aspire to one day honor and represent the country that he loves.

In my eyes, Caeleb’s recent progression in swimming at the college level is considered a coming of age experience. The same headstrong attitude that he carried throughout his youth is now noticeable within his adulthood which he channels to prioritizing his life and achieving his goals.

I am honored to call Caeleb family and unashamed to say that as he once looked up to me, I now look up to him. Caeleb had previously received an introduction to the competition considering his visit to the Olympic Trials 2012 at the age of 15. Now, four years later and at the peak of his athletic conditioning, I am passionate about my brother’s success and will enjoy watching him compete with the world's best swimmers.