Simon Dunn
{{Short description|Australian bobsledder (1987–2023)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2023}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2018}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
|name = Simon Dunn
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|nationality = {{flagu|AUS|name=Australian}}
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|birth_date = {{birth date|df=yes|1987|07|27}}
|birth_place = Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia
|death_date = {{death date and age|df=yes|2023|01|21|1987|07|27}}
|death_place = Surry Hills, New South Wales, Australia
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|country = {{flagu|Australia}}
|sport = File:Bobsleigh pictogram.svg Bobsleigh File:Rugby pictogram.svg Rugby
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|team ={{ubl|Australian Bobsleigh Team |
Sydney Convicts Rugby Club |
Calgary Canucks |
Kings Cross Steelers London}}
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|updated = 16 March 2016
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Simon Dunn (27 July 1987 – 21 January 2023)[https://au.sports.yahoo.com/simon-dunn-death-at-35-leaves-australia-in-shock-cant-believe-it-021045664.html Simon Dunn's death at 35 leaves Australia in shock: 'Can't believe it'] was an Australian bobsledder and rugby player. Raised in Wollongong, in 2014, he was the first openly gay male to represent any country in the sport of bobsled.{{cite web|last=Akerston|first=Matt|title=Australia's first gay bobsledder sleighs 'em|url=http://www.samesame.com.au/features/11611/Australias-first-gay-bobsledder-sleighs-em |publisher=samesame.com.au|accessdate=17 November 2014}} After several years in London, he lived in Sydney and played rugby before his death.{{cite news |url=https://www.starobserver.com.au/news/out-gay-rugby-player-and-former-bobsledder-simon-dunn-passes-away-at-35/220631|title=Out Gay Rugby Player and Former Bobsledder Simon Dunn Passes Away at 35|work=Star Observer |access-date=22 January 2023|date=22 January 2023}}
Career
Simon Dunn grew up playing rugby league south of Sydney, in Wollongong.{{cite web |last=Growden |first=Greg |title=Simon Dunn living sports dream only after enduring personal hell |url=http://www.espn.co.uk/olympics/bobsled/story/_/id/15093387/simon-dunn-endured-terrible-unnecessary-moments-personal-hell |date=21 January 2023|website=espn.co.uk|accessdate=10 February 2017}} Struggling with his own sexuality and life in sport, he initially quit when he first came out but resumed playing after returning to Sydney from Canada when he became a player for the Sydney Convicts Rugby club. Travelling to Canada to further his playing career while he worked at WinSport's Performance Training Centre, Dunn had the opportunity to try out for the Australian bobsleigh team. In making this team and representing his country, this made him the first out gay man to represent any country in the sport.{{cite web|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/community-mourns-simon-dunn-first-out-gay-bobsleigh-athlete-dead-at-35-20230123-p5cevi.html|title='Loved, adored and respected': Tributes flow after death of first out gay bobsleigh athlete|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|last=Segaert|first=Anthony|date=23 January 2023|access-date=23 January 2023}} He was the brakeman for Lucas Mata.Elias Jahshan (Editor) {{google books|Kw7yCAAAQBAJ|Star Observer Magazine April 2014|page=17}} In November 2016, he announced his retirement from bobsleigh.{{cite web|last=Guiltenane|first=Christian|title=Exclusive Interview: Simon Dunn Reveals Some Shocking News!|url=http://www.guyslikeu.com/boys/simon-dunn-retires/|date=10 November 2016|publisher=guyslikeu.com|accessdate=10 February 2017}} He then played rugby in London, UK, with the Kings Cross Steelers.{{cite web|last=Guiltenane|first=Christian|title=Kings Cross Steelers Hunk Marc Landon: 'I Met My Boyfriend on the Team!'|url=http://www.guyslikeu.com/my-story/kings-cross-steelers-hunk-marc-landon-i-met-my-boyfriend-on-the-team/|date=19 April 2016|website=guyslikeu.com|accessdate=17 May 2017}} Dunn was also nominated and shortlisted for the Australian LGBTI Awards Sports Personality of the Year in both 2018 and 2019.{{cite web|title=Sports Personality|url=https://www.australianlgbtiawards.com.au/holden-australia---sports-personality.html|accessdate=2 March 2018|archive-date=3 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180303050748/https://www.australianlgbtiawards.com.au/holden-australia---sports-personality.html|url-status=dead}} Dunn contributed as a columnist to Attitude, Gay Times and DNA magazines' online editions and had more recently been a columnist on GuysLikeU and Gays with Kids.{{cite web |url=https://www.gayswithkids.com/search/?q=simon+dunn |title=Gays With Kids |website=www.gayswithkids.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310010809/https://www.gayswithkids.com/search/?q=simon+dunn |archive-date=10 March 2018}}
In 2020, Dunn made his acting debut as the lead actor in Greg Gould and Inaya Day's music video for the single "Love Like This".{{cite web|url=https://www.dnamagazine.com.au/the-powerful-message-behind-love-like-this/|title=The Powerful Message Behind 'Love Like This'|website=DNA|date=8 May 2020|access-date=23 January 2023}} The video was part of Global Pride 2020.{{cite web|title=Global Pride 2020|url=https://4zzz.org.au/program/global-pride-2020/2020-06-28%2012:00:00|date=28 June 2020|website=4ZZZ.org.au|publisher=4ZZZ|access-date=28 January 2023}}
In July 2021, Dunn announced his return to bobsleigh and intention to represent Australia at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.{{Cite web|last=Scott|first=Duncan|date=29 July 2021|title=Simon Dunn Announces Return To Bobsleigh And Journey To 2022 Winter Olympics|url=https://www.dnamagazine.com.au/simon-dunn-announces-return-to-bobsleigh-and-journey-to-2022-winter-olympics/|access-date=26 December 2021|website=DNA|language=en-AU}} He began training with the Australian team in September 2021 by competing in both two-man and four-man events in Whistler, but he suffered a ruptured biceps during his second four-man race of the season in Whistler, British Columbia, which required his return to Australia for treatment. In an interview, he stated that the injury and rehabilitation time "make [his] chances very slim" to compete in the 2022 Olympics.{{Cite web|last=Scott|first=Duncan|date=19 November 2021|title=DNA Alumni, Simon Dunn, Suffers Injury On Path To Winter Olympics|url=https://www.dnamagazine.com.au/dna-alumni-simon-dunn-suffers-injury-on-path-to-winter-olympics/|access-date=26 December 2021|website=DNA|language=en-AU}}
Advocacy work
After his initial retirement from the Australian Bobsleigh team, Dunn began to focus on social causes that were important to him, notably those affecting the LGBTQI community, homophobia in sport, and HIV/AIDS.{{Cite web|url=http://attitude.co.uk/simon-dunn-i-wish-keegan-and-sam-had-been-there-when-i-was-growing-up/|title=Simon Dunn: 'I wish Keegan and Sam had been there when I was growing up'|date=September 2015|access-date=5 July 2016}} Whilst in London, Dunn appeared on Sky News to debate comments made by professional rugby player Israel Folau,{{cite web|last=Guiltenane|first=Christian|title=Simon Dunn: 'Homophobic Rugby Star Israel Folau Should Be Banned for His Comments!'|url=http://www.guyslikeu.com/culture/simon-dunn-isreal/|website=guyslikeu.com|date=27 April 2018|accessdate=27 April 2018}} and he was the face of a national HIV test campaign with the charity the Terrence Higgins Trust, along with testing himself for HIV live online.{{cite web|title=Simon Dunn Talks HIV Testing Week|url=https://www.dnamagazine.com.au/simon-dunn-talks-hiv-testing-week/|website=dnamagazine.com.au|date=23 November 2018|accessdate=23 November 2018|archive-date=25 November 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181125063101/https://www.dnamagazine.com.au/simon-dunn-talks-hiv-testing-week/|url-status=dead}}
Following his return to Sydney, Dunn continued with this work, being announced as an ambassador for GiveOUT Day, which aims to help LGBTIQ+ projects and community groups.{{cite web|title=We are thrilled to have some amazing representatives from the Australian LGBTIQ+ community on board for GiveOUT Day 2020|url=https://giveout.org.au/ambassadors|website=giveout.org.au|accessdate=23 March 2020}} In 2020, Dunn also became an ambassador for the Bobby Goldsmith Foundation, which is Australia's longest-running HIV charity.{{cite web|title=Simon Dunn – BGF Community Ambassador|url=https://www.bgf.org.au/about-us/simon-dunn|date=26 May 2020|website=Bobby Goldsmith Foundation|publisher=Bobby Goldsmith Foundation|access-date=28 January 2023}}
Media appearances
Dunn attracted a strong social media following and, in July 2015, created a YouTube channel.[https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmjjAzB7Us_iRlGHWrbhGog Simon Dunn] on YouTube. Being noticed and featured on BuzzFeed,{{Cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/jessematheson/meet-the-first-gay-man-of-bobsledding-14ye1#.asZm8VOOo|title=Community Post: Meet Simon Dunn, The First Out Gay Bobsledder|website=BuzzFeed Community|access-date=17 March 2016}} Dunn appeared in Attitude magazine's Naked Issue.{{Cite web|url=http://attitude.co.uk/simon-dunn-the-best-part-of-my-body-is-my-bum/|title=Simon Dunn: Attitude Naked Issue 2015|website=Attitude Magazine|date=6 February 2015|access-date=17 March 2016}} With his popularity among readers he was also later voted in number 1 of the magazine's annual Hot 100 list.{{Cite web|url=http://attitude.co.uk/meet-attitudes-hot-100-winner-aussie-bobsledder-simon-dunn/|title=Meet Attitude's HOT 100 winner, Aussie bobsledder Simon Dunn|website=Attitude Magazine|date=21 July 2015|access-date=17 March 2016}} Since the start of 2016, Dunn had appeared in hundreds of media publications, including print, online, radio, and television. Dunn also graced the cover of several print media magazines around the world.{{Cite web |last=Kennedy |first=John R. |title=Australian rugby player turns to bobsleigh in Calgary with eye on 2018 Olympics |url=http://globalnews.ca/news/1703535/australian-rugby-player-turns-to-bobsleigh-in-calgary-with-eye-on-2018-olympics/ |access-date=25 March 2016 |website=Global News}}{{Cite web |last=Kennedy |first=John R. |title=Calgary's Simon Dunn named hottest man in the world |url=http://globalnews.ca/news/2128615/calgarys-simon-dunn-named-hottest-man-in-the-world/ |access-date=25 March 2016 |website=Global News}}{{Cite web |title=Australian bobsledder living in Calgary named 'World's Hottest Man' by UK magazine |url=http://www.calgarysun.com/2015/07/25/australian-bobsledder-living-in-calgary-named-worlds-hottest-man-by-uk-magazine |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150819161032/http://www.calgarysun.com/2015/07/25/australian-bobsledder-living-in-calgary-named-worlds-hottest-man-by-uk-magazine |archive-date=19 August 2015 |access-date=25 March 2016 |website=Calgary Sun}}
In 2020, he appeared in the documentary film Steelers: The World's First Gay Rugby Club by Eammon Ashton-Atkinson, alongside Steve Brockman and Nic Evans.{{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/insider/kings-cross-steelers-film-gay-rugby-club-eammon-ashton-atkinson-b930456.html|title='Finding this community is huge': story of world's first gay rugby team captured on film|work=Evening Standard|first=Mark|last=Smith|date=19 April 2021|access-date=30 August 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/BySimonDunn/status/1229858055753351169|title=Excited to announce I'm in Steelers Documentary a film on the @KXSteelers|publisher=Twitter|date=18 February 2020|access-date=30 August 2021}}
Death
Dunn was found dead inside his Surry Hills apartment on 21 January 2023, with police not treating his death as suspicious. He was 35.{{cite web|url=https://au.sports.yahoo.com/simon-dunn-death-at-35-leaves-australia-in-shock-cant-believe-it-021045664.html|title=Simon Dunn's death at 35 leaves Australia in shock: 'Can't believe it'|publisher=Yahoo! Sports|last=Goodwin|first=Sam|date=23 January 2023|access-date=23 January 2023}}
References
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Category:Australian male bobsledders
Category:Australian rugby union players
Category:Australian gay sportsmen
Category:Australian LGBTQ rugby union players
Category:Sportspeople from Goulburn
Category:Rugby union players from New South Wales
Category:21st-century Australian LGBTQ people
Category:Australian LGBTQ rights activists