Olympic medalist swimmer and 9-to-5 engineer, Nic Fink is the ultimate definition of a hustler! On Father’s Day 2024, Fink took the spotlight at Lucas Oil Stadium, dominating the men’s 100-meter breaststroke finals at the U.S. trials with a slick 59.08 seconds, securing both the win and his second Olympics trip. As he looks to clinch a first Olympic medal, is there someone special cheering him on?

During the US Trials, as he touched the wall first, Fink gave a heartfelt nod to someone in the stands. That someone was his wife, Melanie Margalis-Fink, who was in the stands with tears of joy. And in a move worthy of a dad-of-the-year award, he flashed a baby-cradle gesture, turning his victory lap into a heartwarming preview of their upcoming adventure into parenthood! So, who is Melanie Margalis-Fink? Let us find out what we know about her.

Melanie Margalis-Fink reigned as an Olympic gold queen too!

Melanie Margalis-Fink, herself an accomplished Olympian, won gold in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics as part of the 4×200 freestyle relay team. She also narrowly missed a second medal, placing fourth in the 200 IM. She’s got quite the collection, including a bronze at the 2021 Short Course Worlds in the 400 IM and multiple golds from World Championships in both long and short course events.

Margalis graduated from Countryside High School. She was a club swimmer for St. Petersburg Aquatics, where she was coached by Fred Lewis. She became a three-time state champion, and she held the state record in the 200-yard IM during her stint in high school swimming.

In 2009, she swam the 500-yard free and also won a state championship. This performance earned her the Pinellas County Female Athlete of the Year. Her college swimming career began in 2010/11 and she followed in the footsteps of her brother Robert, also a swimmer, and joined Georgia.

At the Bulldogs, she was coached by legendary Coach Jack Bauerle, who helped her realize her potential. During her freshman year, she finished sixth in the 200 IM and ninth in the 400 IM at the NCAA Championships and was part of the winning 400 free relay team. Margalis had her first individual SEC win in 2013 and in her senior year, she started getting nationwide recognition. As a team captain, Margalis finished second in the 200 IM by less than .20 seconds and third in the 400 IM.

Her first foray into the international scene came at the 2013 World University Games in Russia. In that event, she picked up a win as a member of the 800-meter free relay and won bronze in the 200 IM. After participating in the 2014 National Championships, where she won a bronze, and the 2015 World Championships, she qualified for Rio 2016.

In 2017, at the Winter National Championships, she won three individual titles and broke the Championship Record in the 200IM with a time of 1:52.63. Margalis also finished first in 400IM and 100 breaststroke. Margalis also won a bronze for the United States at the 2021 Short Course Worlds in the 400 IM.

Being a 17-time All-American, it was no surprise Melanie was named assistant women’s swimming coach at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas, under head coach Ozzie Quevedo in June.

Margalis holds a bachelor’s degree of science in Family and Consumer Sciences and Fashion Merchandising and was an assistant coach at Georgia Tech in 2022-23.

Meanwhile, at the Paris Olympics, she will be cheering on her husband, who juggles competition duties with his 9-5 job and now will be a father soon. So show does he manage to do it?

How does Nic Fink balance his engineering job and swimming career simultaneously?

Speaking about his double role as an engineer and swimmer, Nic Fink opened up to NBC “I thought there was a chance that as I dedicated more time into engineering, perhaps my swimming career would begin to sunset. But finding that balance has actually helped me in both, and my swimming’s been just as good or better than ever.” Fink, who holds a Master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering, works as an assistant project manager at Quanta Utility Engineering Services, a role he’s held since March 2023.

He finds it fascinating how his colleagues view his dual life, saying, “At best, they are super supportive of my career in the pool. And at worst, they are envious of my hours, especially when I have to leave early for afternoon workouts — but not envious of the reason for my hours.” Fink also shared with CNBC’s ‘Make It,’ how his team’s flexibility with schedules for meetings and practice has allowed him to thrive in both swimming and engineering.

Fink gets a lot of help from his wife, Melanie Margalis, and they spend Sundays meal-prepping for the week ahead, whether it’s for the pool or the office. As we reflect on their dynamic partnership and that heartwarming moment at the 2024 U.S. Olympic Trials, what do you think about Nic Fink’s dual roles, his ticket to the Paris Olympics, and his heartfelt gesture as a soon-to-be dad? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Update: At the Paris Olympics, Nic Fink won the silver medal in the men’s 100-meter breaststroke. He tied Britain’s Adam Peaty for silver at 59.05 seconds, missing out on gold by two-hundredths of a second. Melanie Margalis shared her delight in an Instagram post, writing, “Admittedly not how I thought I would be watching @finknic swim in his 2nd Olympics but I AM SO PROUD! 2x Olympian and now an Olympic Silver Medalist!!!!”