Former professional swimmer Michael Gunning has admitted he is 'terrified' of getting his heart broken and hasn't been on a date since he came out back in 2018.
The sports star, 30, came out as gay whilst appearing on the reality dating show The Bi Life on E! Entertainment back in 2018, making him Jamaica's first openly gay athlete on the National Team.
Now, he has lifted the lid on the worlds of both swimming and dating during an appearance on Best Magazine's Suddenly Single podcast on Wednesday.
Chatting to hosts Tim Vincent and Siobhan Wykes, the the 200m butterfly swimmer candidly explained: 'I feel quite insecure. It's been 2 years since I retired, I've put on 12kg, I'm not as ripped and as lean as I used to be.
'So I think there's a lot of inner demons that don't pick up on people coming on to me. I'm so scared of getting my heart broken.'
Former professional swimmer Michael Gunning has admitted he is 'terrified' of getting his heart broken and hasn't been on a date since he came out back in 2018 (pictured in 2022)
The sports star, 30, If you loved this post and you wish to receive more info with regards to
bokep anak kecil generously visit our web-site. came out as gay whilst appearing on the reality dating show The Bi Life on E! Entertainment back in 2018, making him Jamaica's first openly gay athlete on the National Team (pictured in 2021)
'I feel there's an added pressure as a gay man to almost live up the stereotype of being a gay man - I don't sleep around, most people would see me as being athletic and think I've had many dates, but I feel awful telling the truth and saying I've not been in a relationship.'
He added: 'I feel like the LGBT community has put this pressure on me as well to be a certain way and to live up to just my swimmer body.
'I've always been single, that's the crazy thing. It's taken me a lot of time to love myself and be happy being me, being a bit different. I'm definitely ready for a relationship.'
Talking about his type, the athlete revealed he is more
attracted to people who are 'older and have a bit of life experience,' so is opting not to open his dating app age range to younger people.
Reflecting on his experiences, he said: 'In the LGBT community an open relationship is really common and I've (met) a lot of open relationship men who have been so attractive that I'd love to have gone out on a date with them, but they've got a partner. I just can't get my head around 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'm on a couple of dating apps. I'm not really in it for a bit of fun, I'd like to find a genuine connection.'
'I haven't had 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 put this pressure on me as well to be a certain way and to live up to just my swimmer body'
Michael has had an incredible swimming career and is the current national record holder for the 200 metre butterfly, and the 200 and 400 metre freestyle events
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' due to his race and sexuality (pictured at a pop-up pool programme in 2023)
In April, he was listed in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list as part of Europe's Sport and Games Class of 2024
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'I didn't want to have to sit down with everyone and tell them about my sexuality, I wanted to do it all in one. That was my first ever date but I haven't been on a date since….I'm always looking for perfection.'
Michael has had an incredible swimming career and is the current national record holder for the 200 metre butterfly, and the 200 and 400 metre freestyle events.
In April, he was listed in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list as part of Europe's Sport and Games Class of 2024.
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' due to his race and sexuality.
Michael said: 'I've always been a bit of an anomaly in swimming, being a person of colour - I was always told 'Black people don't swim', so I was always trying to fight against the odds.
'Obviously with my sexuality as well - I came out in sport. So there were a lot of differences I had to overcome.
'I suppressed my sexuality for so many years…in sport, because I was already different, being a person of colour in swimming, I didn't want to be further different from everybody else.'
Reflecting on the moment he came out to the swimming community, he explained how he worked it up in his head that it would be 'awful and that people wouldn't feel comfortable changing' with him - but in reality, everyone was 'really lovely'.
Expanding on the beginning of his swimming journey, he added: 'At the start I didn't really want to learn (to swim), the water was cold, I didn't want to get in!
'But the minute I started to challenge myself and push my body, I did it for fun. I was in the water every night after school for pleasure.
'Neither of my parents can swim, which I why I think they were so passionate about taking me and getting me to learn.'
The latest best Suddenly Single podcast is now available on podcast platformsTim Vincent