Michael Andrew Finding Renewed Purpose In and Out of the Water (Video)
Following a massive training change to Arizona State University, Michael Andrew has continued a steady rise back to the national spotlight. The American-record holder in the 100 breaststroke finished shy of an Olympic team spot in 2024, but has had promising signs in recent months that his training ground change is paying off.
At the TYR Pro Swim Series in Westmont just a few weeks ago, Andrew swam to a pair of 1:00s in the 100 breaststroke. Within the 2025 calendar year, his times – at that point in the season – are on par or faster than seasons he has been at his best.
Last weekend in Sacramento, Andrew contested the 50/100 breaststroke, 50 freestyle and 50 butterfly. Times in bold are finals swims.
- 50 Breaststroke: 27.53/27.37
- 100 Breaststroke: 1:01.40/1:00.54
- 50 Freestyle: 22.41/22.04
- 50 Butterfly: 23.65/23.65
Andrew is looking toward the World Championship Trials with a renewed purpose, specifically about the fact that 50s of stroke are higher up on the U.S. selection policy: i.e. less likely to be dropped from the team after winning a 50 meter event. He also describes that for the first time in his career, he’s learning to swim tired.
Fulfillment In and Outside of the Water
Beyond his aquatic undertakings, Andrew has had significant personal growth outside of the pool. He describes his new teammates with clear pride and joy. For someone who has traditionally trained alone, having a team around him has been a positive shock to the system.
I also love our pro group you know having Grant (House) and (Jack) Dolan. And we’ve had some visitors. We had Jack Dahlgren out there for a little while and we’ve got Marie Wattel and Taylor Ruck. So it’s a good group and I find that having those guys there day in day out when I come in feeling a little, eh, like I don’t really want to work very hard, I have no choice but to because the amount (rivalry) that we have inside each session is great.
Outside of newfound teammates, Andrew is exploring who he is beyond just “Michael Andrew, the Swimmer.” The Olympic gold medalist is exploring how he can use his platform to help the people around him. He describes himself as someone no longer tied to his performance in the pool.
Andrew has long had a YouTube channel to which he’s uploaded over 100 videos. It currently sits at just over 60,000 subscribers. Describing himself as an ‘influencer’, he’s committed to challenging himself creatively and channeling that passion for videography and photography into his sense of self outside of the pool.
