Caeleb Dressel Transcends the Olympics
Throughout human history, there have been select individuals who have risen above the status quo. People who have exceeded all expectations, and set precedents for future generations to come. Now, specifically pertaining to sports, icons such as Muhamad Ali, Jesse Owens, and Michael Phelps obviously come to mind. Each within their own respective right, making ample contributions to their sport and society as a whole. For some individuals, we have the absolute honor to witness history unfolding just before our eyes. However, do we always “stop and smell the roses”? Does society do an adequate job, especially these days, at identifying when that one in a million individual walks “center stage”. This summer at the 2024 Paris Olympic games, audiences who tuned in with Rowdy Gaines and Jason Knapp were able to witness this firsthand in an unconventional fashion. Now this specific individual has already been solidified as one of the fastest men to ever grace the sport. So what else could this person have done this summer, not only for the sport of swimming but society as a whole, other than what they have already accomplished? Simply put, a dose of humanity, which has seemingly been absent from our lives in recent years. The man in the mirror, Caeleb Dressel.
These games will go down in history for numerous reasons; as with all Olympics (summer and winter) the highs were high, and the lows were low. To set the scene, let me take you back to the Men’s 100 Meter Butterfly semifinal. Two heats separated sixteen men from making it to finals, and it just so happens that the competition was tighter than ever. Now, rewinding a bit to Trials at Lucas Oil Stadium in June, Dressel came out on top expecting to reclaim his gold from Tokyo. The day leading up to this semis was not an easy road to travel on for him. Earlier in the session, Dressel would finish sixth in the 50 Meter Freestyle, another event that he not only dominated in Tokyo four years prior, but also at Trials as well. Before the “take your mark”, there was already a disadvantage to overcome. Out of the two semi finals heats, Dressel found himself in the first. This meant that he had to be the fastest in his heat, but also beat out all his other competitors in the second as well. From a spectator perspective, the race was over in a flash, and for those who have partaken in competitive swimming this is not an unknown feeling. However, from someone who is still an active participant, it felt like it went on for the same duration as the mile.
The race finished, and for Team USA, the hopes of getting back on the podium for the 100 Meter Butterfly were over. That is where I truly thought the story ended, but boy was I incorrect. Usually in between races, we hear the commentators break down the race, while simultaneously watching the athletes make their way to the warm down area. Yes, the spectators got that; however, the broadcast soon cut to Dressel visibly emotional with his longtime physician Dr. Katie Edenfield. The spokesperson for speed in the sport of swimming, the defending gold medal Olympian, did not qualify for finals to defend his title. The shock of that alone had already set in; yet, it was the duration of time that Dressel and Dr. Edenfield were featured on screen that shook people the wrong way.
An immediate and fair reaction to what NBC did is obviously one of disappointment. It felt, to an extent, like an invasion of privacy. Millions of eyes fixated on a man who left everything he had that day in the pool. However, as the meet went on, and inevitably the end of the games, I continued to come back to this moment as one of reflection both personally and professionally. As with anything in life, this situation needed further analysis because at face value it looks worse than it actually is. Taking a massive step back, what did the world truly witness? Caeleb Dressel, “the man the myth the legend himself”, at arguably one of his lowest moments. However, the ripples, no pun intended, from that day exceeded anything that anyone was thinking.
In this day and age boys have such a pool of individuals to choose from as far as role models are concerned. Some have the physique of superheroes, others don’t have to worry about a price tag. The point being, do these young men across the world have people to show them there is more to life? To show them they may not be alone in whatever they are going through? On the grandest stage in sports, Caeleb Dressel showed the world exactly what it has been missing. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, approximately six million men each year suffer from depression. Whereas three million of those six will actually go undiagnosed. In America, but I am sure across the world, certain generations grew up differently in regards to showing emotion. That being said anthropologically there are so many tribes, cultures, religions etc. that all do things a different way. I mean for crying out loud there are over one hundred and ninety five countries out there. Nonetheless, Dressel “faced the music”, and broadcasted to the world that “I am a man, this is how I feel, and it is okay”. On the Unfiltered Waters Podcast, Olympians Missy Franklin and Katie Hoff actually touched on this a bit. Franklin was quoted as saying “It was amazing to see him letting himself feel…I do think there was power in little boys watching this and seeing Caeleb as this strong, masculine, incredible athlete and just feeling”. Could not have said it better myself.
MerriamWebster Dictionary defines transcend as “to rise above or go beyond the limits of”. However, the second definition, and the one we are going to use today is “to triumph over the negative or restrictive aspects of”. Moving forward I think they should just replace all three with a picture of Caeleb Dressel. This summer humanity was blessed to see a man on the grandest stage, rise above and solidify himself as one of the all time greats. Not just in sports, but for everything Dressel proudly stands for meter by meter.