He holds the piece of coloured cloth between his teeth, ties it across his hand, knots it around his medal ribbon. It's always with him and it's part of him, a symbol of love and a reminder of strength.
To you it's just a bandana, to Caeleb Dressel - currently the world's finest swimmer - it's as powerful as a prayer. "There's no worldly possession that means more to me," he says in a March 2018 video on the University of Florida Swimming & Diving Facebook page.
Already a subscriber? Log in
Read the full story and more at $9.90/month
Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month
ST One Digital
$9.90/month
No contract
ST app access on 1 mobile device
Unlock these benefits
All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com
Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device
E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you