Sean Gunn is not a cryer.
But when the swimmer entered Rio's Maracanã Stadium to represent his African homeland of Zimbabwe at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Summer Olympics, he was blown away.
“I'm not a big cryer, but I definitely got emotional before entering the stadium for the opening ceremony,” Gunn told OutSport. “I couldn’t believe I was there, surrounded by so many people I’ve looked up to and looked up to over the years.”
Gunn was no stranger to the international stage. He competed in the FINA World Aquatics Championships as a teenager. By 2016, Gunn was a swimmer at the University of Kentucky. There he was part of a relay team that broke the school record.
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It was also in Kentucky that Gunn came to realize and accept that he was gay.
“At first I wasn't out at all,” Gunn said of his tenure at Kentucky. “For the first few years I was dating girls. I had really great relationships with them over the years and I really loved them.
“Obviously things changed over time and then I started dating men. But my team and everyone I know has been so supportive and willing to make me happy. I did.”
Sean Gunn comes out as gay and finds support in Kentucky
Wait, did Gunn find support after coming out to Kentucky? Surely they avoided him in the locker room and on the road.
“Honestly, I don't think anything has really changed,” Gunn said. “If anything, the friendship got better. I think I had been building it up in my head for a long time, but I was scared that their behavior and the way they treated me would change. I was really lucky because they were so wonderful and wanted me to be the happiest version of myself.”
Though Gunn dated men and had relationships with various members of Kentucky's swim team, his family, who live nearly half a world away in southern Africa, had no idea at the time that he was gay. There wasn't.
“Unfortunately, I didn't come out to my family and people back home until much later,” he said. “I've never had a bad experience since coming out, but I think I've been suffering for too long.
“That being said, I left home when I was 18 and decided to live, train and study in America. I had a fairly long-term relationship with a woman, but… After the relationship ended, I dated a guy in America and all my friends and team knew about it.”
Sean Gunn lives his life as an out gay man
Currently, Gunn is completely immersed in her life, living in Cape Town, South Africa with her boyfriend and working a new job.
“As someone who struggled with coming out and finally came out to my family at age 27, I'm so happy to be surrounded by friends, family, and so much love, and I'm so grateful to them all.”
Returning to a personal Olympic memory, Gunn competed in the much-talked-about 100-meter freestyle in 2016, finishing in 50.87 seconds, a national record for that event. Although that record has since been broken, his Japanese record for the 200m freestyle from early 2016 still stands.
Medal or not, competing in the Olympics meant the world to Gunn. He was representing a continent that is largely under-represented in the sport on the international stage.
“Honestly, I loved every moment of this experience,” Gunn told Outsports. “I dreamed of going to the Olympics since I was little, but the whole time I was there I had to keep reminding myself that this is real life.
“Knowing how long it took to get there allows me to do anything I set my mind to and set my life in shape after the Olympics and after my swimming career. It really reminded me of that.”
Beyond a swimming career
His swimming career ended a year after the Olympics. Like many of her elite athletes, Gunn has put in countless hours of training in preparation for her big moment on the international stage.
And like many elite athletes, he was happy to take a break from competition and endless training.
“It took me a long time to enjoy swimming again because I really needed a break. I can't swim fast or far these days, but slowly over time I fell in love with the sport. , I can now go back to the pool without hating it.”
Now he uses the running track more than the pool.
“My life right now is truly amazing and I have so much to be grateful for. I'm getting older, but I've never felt so young, healthy, and happy. It means so much to me. That’s what happened!”
You can follow Sean Gunn on Instagram.
