Simon Dunn, an Australian Olympic bobsledder and rugby player, died suddenly on Saturday at the age of 35.
Although the Olympian’s cause of death has not yet been made public, authorities have confirmed that he did not die under suspicious circumstances. Dunn’s body was found in his apartment in Sydney on the morning of January 21.
North South Wales Police released a statement saying, “About 10 am on Saturday, January 21, 2023, police were called to a unit on Crown Street, Surry Hills, after reports of the body of a man had been found inside.”
“The body is believed to be that of the 35-year-old occupant,” the statement continued. “Officers from Surry Hills Police Area Command have commenced inquiries into the circumstances surrounding his death, which is not being treated as suspicious.”
Dunn’s agents at Ruby Rose Management confirmed the athlete’s passing in a statement. They wrote,
“Simon was passionate about giving back to the community and volunteering. He gave his time, and utilizing his profile, to help multiple charities. Like all great ambassadors, he had his favorites which included Bobby Goldsmith Foundation, Give Out Dat and Pride in Sport.
Simon never said ‘NO’ to donating his time to any organization who wanted to grow its Diversity and Inclusion footprint from Woolworths to Lion – helping them all to better understand their LGBTQIA+ employees and customers.
Simon represented us all, he always said ‘I am not the spokesman, I am just a gay white male telling you about my experiences, and experiences from those with whom I listened and learnt. The sharing of these stories gives us all an appreciation of what has led us to where we are today.’ “
The Bobby Goldsmith Foundation is an Australian HIV charity for which Dunn was an ambassador. The foundation posted a tribute to the late athlete, expressing their gratitude for his contributions to both their charity initiatives and the entire community.
They described Dunn as a “selfless, compassionate and kind individual who treated everyone equally, stood up for marginalised and vulnerable people and called out injustice.”
After making it to the international stage as a bobsledder, Dunn became the first out, gay person to represent any country in the sport at an international level. He represented Australia in the national bobsleigh team at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
