Swimmer Michael Gunning admits he is ‘terrified’ of getting his heart broken and says he hasn’t been on a date since coming out six years ago

Former professional swimmer Michael Gunning has admitted he is ‘terrified’ of having his heart broken and has not dated since coming out in 2018.

The sports star, 30, came out as gay while appearing on the reality dating show The Bi Life on E! Entertainment in 2018, making him Jamaica’s first openly gay athlete on the national team.

Now he has opened up the world of both swimming and dating during an appearance on Best Magazine’s Suddenly some podcast on Wednesday.

Speaking to presenters Tim Vincent and Siobhan Wykes, the 200m butterfly swimmer candidly explained: ‘I feel quite insecure. It’s been two years since I retired, I’ve gained 20 lbs, I’m not as ripped and lean as I used to be.

“So I think there are a lot of inner demons that don’t notice people coming to me. I’m so scared of getting my heart broken.’

The sports star, 30, came out as gay while appearing on the reality dating show The Bi Life on E! Entertainment in 2018, making him Jamaica’s first openly gay athlete on the national team (photo in 2021)

‘I feel that as a gay man there is an extra pressure to almost live up to the stereotype of being gay. I don’t sleep around, most people would see me as athletic and think I’ve been on a lot of dates, but I feel terrible telling the truth and saying I haven’t been in a relationship.’

He added: “I feel like the LGBT community has also put this pressure on me to be a certain way and just live up to my swimmer’s body.

‘I’ve always been single, that’s the funny thing. It took me a long time to love myself and be happy for being me, for being a little different. I’m definitely ready for a relationship.’

Speaking of his type, the athlete revealed that he is more attracted to people who are “older and have a bit of life experience,” and therefore chooses not to open the age range of his dating app to younger people.

Reflecting on his experiences, he said: ‘In the LGBT community, open relationships are very common and I have met many men in open relationships who were so attractive that I would have liked to go on a date with them. but they have a partner. I just don’t understand how that would work…I could never do it.”

“I really want to be sexually attracted to someone, and I want someone who knows themselves, is ambitious, and knows what they want.”

‘I use a few dating apps. I’m not really into fun, I’m into finding a real connection.’

‘I haven’t been on a date since 2018 when I went on a dating show, The Bi Life. That’s how I came out as gay on the show.

Michael said: ‘I feel like the LGBT community has also put this pressure on me to be a certain way and just conform to my swimmer’s body’

Michael has had an incredible swimming career and is the current national record holder in the 200 meter butterfly and the 200 and 400 meter freestyle.

Elsewhere in the podcast episode, he lifted the lid on being told “Black people don’t swim,” and how he had to “fight against the odds” because of his race and sexuality (pictured during a 2023 pop-up pool show)

In April, he was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list as part of the European Sports and Games Class of 2024

‘I didn’t want to sit down with everyone and talk about my sexuality, I wanted to do it all at once. That was my first date ever, but I haven’t had a date since. I’m always looking for perfection.’

Michael has had an incredible swimming career and is the current national record holder in the 200 meter butterfly and the 200 and 400 meter freestyle.

In April, he was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list as part of the European Sports and Games Class of 2024.

Elsewhere in the podcast episode, he lifted the lid when he was told “Black people don’t swim,” and how he had to “fight against the odds” because of his race and sexuality.

Michael said: “I’ve always been a bit of an anomaly in swimming because I’m a person of colour. I was always told, “Black people don’t swim,” so I always tried to fight against the odds.

‘Of course also with my sexuality – I came from sports. So there were a lot of differences that I had to overcome.

‘I suppressed my sexuality for years… in sports, because I was already different. Being a person of color in swimming, I didn’t want to be even more different from everyone else.”

Reflecting on the moment he came out to the swimming community, he explained how he thought in his mind that it would “be horrible and people wouldn’t feel comfortable hanging out with him” – but in reality everyone was ‘very nice’. ‘.

About the beginning of his swimming journey, he added: ‘At first I didn’t really want to learn (swimming), the water was cold, I didn’t want to get in!

‘But once I started challenging myself and pushing my body, I did it for fun. I was in the water every night after school for fun.

“Neither of my parents can swim, which is why I think they were so excited to take me and let me learn.”

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