Who Is USA Swimmer Caeleb Dressel's Wife, Meghan?

Before Caeleb Dressel put a gold band on Meghan Dressel's finger, the pro swimmer already possessed two gold medals from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. There was so much more joy to come for the couple, whose love story began in the pool.

Caeleb and Meghan are high school sweethearts who both swam competitively in Florida when they were young. On "In Depth with Graham Bensinger," the couple revealed that they first met through the swim meets they participated in when they were in elementary school. "She totally had a crush on me when I was little," said Caeleb. But according to Meghan, she had a lot of competition for Caeleb's attention back then. "He was the heartthrob of all the little girls at the time," she revealed. Meghan never acted on her feelings and she and Caeleb remained nothing more than casual acquaintances until high school. In the evenings, they both started training at the Bolles School in Jacksonville, which is renowned for its swimming program. Their relationship began as a friendly one; it took Caeleb a few years to gather up the courage to ask Meghan out. When he proposed in 2019, he recruited his photographer sister to help. Meghan thought they were just doing a photo shoot at the same spot where the couple took their senior pictures — but then he got down on one knee.

Before the couple tied the knot, Meghan completed her college education with some seriously impressive credentials.

Caeleb Dressel and Meghan Dressel both attended the University of Florida. "This is the first time we've lived in the same city since we've been dating," Caeleb told World Aquatics in April 2020. Like Caeleb, Meghan continued swimming competitively but decided that she wanted to focus on her education during her second year in college. Her dedication to her academic career paid off in December 2020 when she completed her schooling with Master of Education and Educational Specialist degrees. After sharing just how tough it was for her to achieve her goal, Meghan revealed what was next for her. "This girl is officially in the real world of Marriage and Family Therapy!" she captioned a celebratory Instagram post.

 Meghan didn't just have a new career as a therapist to build; she also had a wedding to plan and a talented husband to cheer for. Reflecting on the emotional day that she and Caeleb tied the knot in February 2021, she wrote on Instagram, "As a therapist, feelings [and] words are my bread and butter. And I have to say, I have no words to describe what this ceremony felt like other than, Jesus."

Months after she became a bride, Meghan became a long-distance cheerleader. While she couldn't attend the delayed Tokyo Olympics because of pandemic protocols, a video went viral of the emotional wife congratulating Caeleb after his second gold medal performance at the Games. He ultimately took home five.

Caeleb Dressel is one of those Olympians who live a double life. While preparing for the 2024 Olympic Trials, the athlete — who has been compared to swimming legend Michael Phelps — spent his spare time playing farmer. He and Meghan Dressel decided to purchase a plot of land in Florida, where they now spoil a small herd of cattle. On "In Depth with Graham Bensinger," the couple made it clear that their cows are pets, not future cheeseburgers. Meghan revealed that she hilariously named three of them after "Mean Girls" characters, explaining, "They got some attitude." Regina George gets especially feisty when she wants a cookie.

Meghan shared that she and Caeleb want to someday raise chickens and ducks as well, so it sounds like the couple's son will grow up in a fun environment. In February 2024, they celebrated the birth of a baby boy named August, who took it fairly easy on his mom when he decided it was time to meet his parents. On Instagram, Meghan revealed that her labor was short and sweet. "We had the intervention free birth that we had so hoped and prepared for," she wrote. "It was more raw, incredible and beautiful than we ever could have dreamed of."

Speaking to Forbes, Caeleb admitted that Meghan is a more patient parent than he is. He added, "How she cares for him, it's really, really special."