Dressel was born in Green Cove Springs, Florida on August 16, 1996, to Michael and Christina Dressel. He has two older siblings — his brother, Tyler, and sister Kaitlyn, and a younger sister, Sherridon. His father swam in college, as did his sister at Florida State University, per USA Swimming.
But he first started testing the waters, so to speak, when he was just five years old. Many of his hobbies he had while growing up were water-related, such as being in the pool, boating, and wakeboarding. When he wasn't in the water, he played sports on land, like soccer, football, and track, according to his website. He attended his hometown's Clay High School and competitively swam for his school as a teen, per Florida Times-Union. This is where he began to shine as a swimmer. In high school, he became the first swimmer under the age of 16 to start off a 200-yard free relay in under 20 seconds, per Swim Swam. A young Dressel broke many swimming records, including breaking his own high school record his senior year, according to Swim Swam. By the time he was done with high school, he had an outstanding record that made him a desirable candidate for colleges around the country.
