Michael Gunning is a former Olympic swimmer who is known for competing in both the 2017 and 2019 World Aquatics Championships, participating in the 200 meter butterfly and the men’s 200 meter freestyle events.
He was born on April 29, 1994 in Kent, England. At the age of 4, he began swimming, and eventually joined Beckenham Swimming Club when he was 7 years old. Gunning initially had a big fear of water, but was able to overcome it, and even qualified for the National Championships at the age of 12.
He attended the University of East London, and graduated in 2018 with first-class honors in Early Childhood Studies. Gunning was a member of Team GB, and gained notable achievements while representing England. The international competitive swimmer then decided to represent Jamaica shortly after surviving the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing.
After pursuing the sport for more than a decade, he announced his retirement from competitive swimming as arguably the fastest male swimmer in Jamaican history in 2022. Moreover, Gunning became Jamaica’s first out gay athlete on the National Team after coming out as gay in the British reality dating show ‘The Bi Life’.
He has been a role model who encourages and inspires, not only athletes, but also members of the LGBTQ+ community. In a statement via Stonewall, the 29-year-old Jamaican-British swimmer expressed:
“I always thought that being a sportsperson meant you had to carry out a specific role, but since coming out in 2018, I’ve realized that there is no ‘specific role’ to be. I’ve been given a bigger voice and had an even bigger impact while still competing on the international stage. I’d love to know that by being my authentic self I’ve managed to inspire athletes from all sports to stay true to themselves, and to feel comfortable enough to come out.”
More recently, he was appointed as the ambassador for Pride House-Paris 2024. Talking to Attitude, Gunning noted that the Paris 2024 Olympics “could see history being made for having the most ‘out’ athletes at an Olympic Games ever.”
“So happy that more and more elite athletes feel comfortable in being their true selves. We’ve come a long way, and LGBTQ+ representation really matters in elite sport,” he further stated.
And now that we’ve gotten to know a bit more about the talented hottie that is Michael Gunning, let’s also take a moment to admire some of his stunning hot pics 😉
Also, here’s a video ’cause why not?
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, stonewall.org.uk, attitude.co.uk
