American swimmer Caeleb Dressel left the Tokyo Olympics with five gold medals after breaking 3 world records – including his own.
He completed the 100-meter butterfly in 49.45 seconds and broke his world record by .05, all this just two days after setting an American record in the 100-meter freestyle. He also got gold medals in the 4×100-meter medley relay, 4×100-meter freestyle relay swimming events.
Dressel, who is only 24 years old, is from Florida, USA, specializing in freestyle and butterfly style. He was selected for the national team with excellent results very early and is a winning army in international competitions. In the 2017 World Swimming Championships, he got 7 gold medals and broke two world records.
Besides his excellent performance in swimming, he is open to talk about his faith in God.
Dressel has the sleeve of tattoos on his left arm. At the top, covering his shoulder, is a large eagle. He has said that tattoo was inspired by one of his favorite Bible verses, Isaiah 40:31, which says, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”
In the past, he’s even written Scripture references on his face.
“It’s the reason I’m in the sport — not just to go fast times, but to inspire people and show them where I find my happiness with what God’s given me,” Dressel said after the 2015 U.S. Nationals, via the Baptist Standard.
Dressel was raised in a Christian home but told the Baptist Standard that he grew in his faith during college at the University of Florida, when he attended Campus Church of Christ in Gainesville. There was a time in high school when he stopped swimming because he was no longer enjoying it, but he eventually returned, and did so with more trust in God.
“Coming out of that, I started swimming again and really just put all my trust in God and knowing that He’s going to take care of everything for me, good or bad,” Dressel told the Baptist Standard in 2016. “I really learned a lot, and I really learned to see the light at the end of the tunnel and trust what God is doing, whether it be a rough point in your life or a top pinnacle in your life. You’ve just got to take pauses and really trust what He’s doing.”