Meet Sean Gunn, the dreamy Olympic swimmer who just came out as gay
| 03/20/24
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Instagram (@seangunnnn)
Zimbabwean swimmer Sean Gunn just publicly came out as gay!
Gunn, who swam for Zimbabwe at the 2016 Rio Olympics, went to the University of Kentucky, where he came out to teammates before even his family knew the truth.
Luckily, his fellow athletes were “very supportive” and “happy” for Gunn when he started dating men. “I honestly don’t think anything really changed at all,” he told Out Sports. “If anything, friendships just became better. I think in my head I built it up for so long, and I was terrified that the way they acted or treated me would be different. But I was really lucky that everyone was so amazing and wanted me to be the happiest version of myself.”
Although Gunn didn’t end up medaling at the Olympics, he “loved every second of the whole experience” he had been dreaming about since he “was a little kid.”
Finally, Gunn opened up to his family when he was 27. “Unfortunately I only came out to my family and people back at home much later in life,” he said. “Although I haven’t had one bad experience since coming out, I guess I just struggled with it for way too long.”
Now, he’s 30 years old, living back Zimbabwe with his boyfriend, and although he spent years not wanting to get back in the pool after years of grueling treatment, he’s finally at a place where he enjoys swimming again. “My life really is in such a good space right now, and I have so much to be grateful for! I’m getting older, but I’ve never felt younger, fitter and happier, which means the world to me!”
Congrats on living in your truth, Sean! Welcome to the fam!
Scroll through to see more pics of Sean! And to keep up to date on his journey, follow him on Instagram, @seangunnnn!
Ariel Messman-Rucker is an Oakland-born journalist who now calls the Pacific Northwest her home. When she’s not writing about politics and queer pop culture, she can be found reading, hiking, or talking about horror movies with the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network.
Ariel Messman-Rucker is an Oakland-born journalist who now calls the Pacific Northwest her home. When she’s not writing about politics and queer pop culture, she can be found reading, hiking, or talking about horror movies with the Zombie Grrlz Horror Podcast Network.