Swimmer Michael Gunning leaves little to the imagination while working on a secret project in the Canary Islands
A post shared by Michael Gunning (@michaelgunning1)The 29-year-old is using platform to make an impact for the Black and LGBTQ+ communities.
Over the last month alone, he’s partnered with Speedo to encourage young people of color to take up swimming; started his own racing clinic; and presented at the Just Like Us Awards, which celebrate those improving the lives of LGBTQ+ youth.Oh, and he attended his first London Pride–looking spectacular as always.A post shared by Michael Gunning (@michaelgunning1)A post shared by Michael Gunning (@michaelgunning1)Raised and originally competing in the U.K., Gunning fought through stereotypes to become an elite swimmer.
He nabbed his first national swimming title at age 13, despite being told Black kids don’t belong in the pool. “At school there weren’t many mixed-race people” Gunning told the Guardian last year. “I had lots of voices telling me Black people can’t swim.
I should do something Black people would succeed at, like athletics. … It’s only in recent years that I’m proud to say I’m a swimmer.”The desire to disprove biases is one of the reasons why Gunning opted to represent Jamaica at the international level.
