Meet our team

Michael Gunning

Guest Coach

Michael Gunning is an internationally recognised professional swimmer best known for participating in the 200-metre butterfly event. He holds duel Nationality, and has set numerous national records for both Team GB and Team Jamaica in his competitive swimming career.

EARLY CAREER

Growing up in Petts Wood, he started swimming at the age of 4 and went on to join Beckenham Swimming Club at the age of 7. He broke 15 county records; 9 London region records, and qualified for his first National Championships at the age of 12 in the 200m Butterfly event. He has always had a big passion for swimming, and made his Team GB debut in the LEN European Open Water Championships in 2010. He later went onto winning medals at BUCS, the WISE Championships, the European Championships and also achieved a First-Class Honours Degree in Early Childhood Education.

TEAM JAMAICA

In 2017, Michael was caught up in the Manchester Arena bombing attack. This was a major turning point in his life and subsequently led him to represent Team Jamaica, his father’s place of birth, to help grow the sport in the Caribbean. After narrowly missing out in the Commonwealth Games Selection Team in 2018, he prioritised life outside of sport and came out publicly as gay on E! Entertainment, making him the Caribbean’s first openly gay member on a national team. Since then, he’s competed in the PAN American Games, the World University Games and two FINA World Swimming Championships, and is a trailblazer that inspires generations of athletes all around the world to be their true selves.

MEDIA CAREER

Since officially retiring from competitive swimming in 2022, Michael has launched himself into the entertainment industry appearing on Television shows such as Lorraine, Morning Live, BBC One’s Documentary ‘Tom Daley: Illegal to be Me’ and most recently BBC Children in Need. He’s a regular pundit/presenter and avid speaker and hosted the live swimming events at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. In addition to this, he was a proud Ambassador for Pride House Birmingham, which made history for having Pride House present in all three athlete villages, and is an Ambassador for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games this Summer. As a passionate advocate for championing equality, diversity and inclusion, Michael helps provide multiple opportunities for minority and underrepresented communities around the UK, and launched Speedo UK’s Swim United Campaign to inspire, educate and remove barriers in sport.