Michael Gunning admits he hasn’t dipped his toes back into the dating pool since coming out as gay in 2018 on the reality dating show The Bi Life.
The 30-year-old former professional swimmer and dropped by the Suddenly Single podcast to talk about his love life and his swimming career. When asked how he’s doing in terms of dating:
“I’ve always been single, which is the crazy thing… I feel like it’s taken me a lot of time to love myself, be authentically happy, and embrace being a bit different. I think I’m definitely ready for a relationship, but I’m also happy being single.”
As Jamaica’s only openly gay athlete, Michael Gunning is not just making waves in the pool—he’s a true trailblazer for LGBTQ+ representation in sports. In 2022, he proudly kicked off the Commonwealth Games with his opening for Pride House Birmingham, solidifying his place as an LGBTQ+ champion. And let’s not forget, Forbes literally put him on the map by naming him in their 30-Under-30 Europe-Sports & Games list! With national records in the 200m butterfly, Gunning’s journey from poolside to spotlight has been nothing short of iconic.
On the podcast, a relationship expert was invited to offer some advice to Michael Gunning, who confessed that while he’s quite sociable, he struggles with knowing if someone is genuinely into him or not—a relatable situation for anyone navigating the dating world. Gunning admitted this is a recurring challenge for him, even as someone outgoing. He added that figuring out signals in the modern dating scene can be tough, leaving many, like him, wondering if there’s a romantic connection or just friendly vibes.
“I am so scared to get my heart broken that I don’t really put myself out there enough.” Adding, “It’s just that inner demons, that insecurity of myself, yeah, is kind of blocking me, I guess.”
You can watch the full podcast down below:
Since retiring from professional swimming, Michael Gunning has joined forces with fellow athletes such as Adam Peaty, Ellie Simmonds, Anna Hopkin, and Matt Richards in partnership with Speedo Swim for the Swim United campaign. Together, they’ve launched a pop-up swimming program in the UK aimed at teaching young children essential swimming and life-saving skills. This initiative was introduced to address a growing concern in the UK—many children leave primary school without the ability to swim, posing a potential safety risk. The program is part of a broader effort to tackle the national swimming crisis and promote water safety for future generations.
Michael is young and has many years ahead of him. So when he does decide to finally take the ‘relationship plunge’, someone out there will surely be ready to dive head first with him! (I know, too many puns, but I just had to!)
Source: Daily Mail UK