Gay swimmer Michael Gunning on representing Jamaica and hitting the gay clubs with Tom Daley

“I think it was a cry for help. I needed to come out in some way and to be myself,” Michael Gunning, the first out gay athlete to represent Jamaica, has told PinkNews.

The former professional swimmer came out publicly in December 2018 while taking part in the reality dating show The Bi Life. 

“I felt at an all-time low,” he says now. “I knew there was one thing missing in my life, and that was me being openly gay, being myself.”

He recalls suppressing his sexuality for years, driven by a fear of homophobic abuse and racism.

During his career, Gunning represented both Great Britain and Jamaica. He won the 2016 European University Games while swimming for Team GB but reflects on the emotional toll of hiding his true

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