At first glance, Caeleb Dressel‘s YouTube channel seems like a typical creator hub. He shoots first-person footage, collaborates with his buddies, and shares his passion with thousands of subscribers. But Dressel possesses something that the typical YouTuber lacks: Nine Olympic gold medals.
Dressel, a swimming star for the U.S. at the 2016, 2020, and 2024 Summer Olympics, is teaching his subscribers how to swim on his personal YouTube channel. Since relaunching the channel a month ago, Dressel has uploaded three videos, each of which breaks down a specific element of competitive swimming. The first of those videos — a primer for getting the “perfect start” — has earned close to 150,000 views.
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SwimSwum notes that Dressel has a long history of sharing his thoughts with fans on YouTube. Before taking a hiatus from his channel, he created a since-deleted series called Dressel Dissects, in which he broke down some of his notable races. As he returns to his namesake hub, he is also offering further lessons through Swim Academy, a platform co-led by fellow swimming pro Drew Loy.
Dressel may be a veteran when it comes to YouTube-based tutelage, but he is relaunching his channel at the perfect time. In the era of NIL deals, athletic content has exploded on social media platforms, bringing big changes to sports like golf, basketball, and soccer. Swimming has not been immune to that sea change. Another Olympic medalist, Bella Sims, starred in a Portal A-produced series that hit Instagram earlier this year.
In general, the arrival of the NIL era has been just as good (if not better) for athletes who lack professional aspirations. When it comes to building a digital presence, a sports creator’s personality and artistry are arguably more important than their on-field exploits.
Dressel’s YouTube career, however, shows that elite competitors can master a slightly different genre. His achievements in the pool have been so great that 52,000 subscribers have signed on to take in his secrets. Here’s what I’ve learned so far: It all begins with a “Perfect Start.”
