Originally from Atlanta, Georgia, Gunnar went to school at the University of Georgia in Athens. While there, he received a BBA in Business Management with a minor in Aerospace Studies. Gunnar began swimming for his neighborhood summer league at the age of three, and ultimately went on to compete in two Olympic Games, earning a gold medal as a part of the 4x200m freestyle relay in Rio 2016. In Tokyo 2020 he competed individually, placing seventh in the 200m butterfly. Otherwise, Gunnar really enjoys cooking and has mastered the art of grilling a medium-rare steak. The impetus of this love of cooking came from the need to intake between 6,000-8,000 calories a day while he was training. He figures that when you're eating that much, you'd better be able to cook.