Fashion designer, Project Runway contestant, and HIV Plus coverboy Jack Mackenroth won eight swimming medals at the recently completed World Outgames 2009, held in Copenhagen. The annual competition is held for members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.

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Mackenroth, who is HIV-positive, won two gold medals (50-meter freestyle and 4x50-meter freestyle relay); four silver medals (50-meter breaststroke, 100-meter freestyle, 4x50-meter medley relay, 4x100-meter medley relay); and two bronze medals (100-meter breaststroke, 200-meter individual medley).

“I was really not expecting to win medals in all eight of my events,” Mackenroth told the website EthanSays.com. “Needless to say, I’m ecstatic. However, it’s not just about winning medals. One of the most fun events was the Random Rainbow Relay, where the meet organizers randomly picked swimmers from all different teams and we swam in a friendly relay with colored-rainbow swim caps. It was a great way to meet swimmers from different countries.”

“I was most concerned about my first race, the 200-meter individual medley, because it was my longest distance and I have been out of the pool for two years since Project Runway,” Mackenroth continued. “I’ve been lifting weights, but it’s no substitute for endurance training. I only started training seriously in the pool about six weeks ago. So when I won a bronze medal I was shocked.”

More than 900 swimmers participated in the World Outgames swimming events, the most athletes participating in any field at the sporting competition.