Rachael Gunn

Rachael Gunn 'Raygun' got people all over the world talking like few can.

Her performances in the face-to-face solo breaking battles at the Paris Olympics, while not enough to claim a win among 16 of the world's best b-girls, were a proud display of hard work, dedication and individuality.

The Sydneysider's experience of representing Australia at the Olympics, at 36 years old, was worth the wait.

“It was crazy going out there,” she said. “It's the biggest crowd I've ever performed to. It was amazing, something that I'll never forget.”

Her ties to Breaking extend beyond being an athlete. Rachael holds a PhD in cultural studies, with her thesis focusing on the intersection of gender and Sydney’s breaking culture.

As a teacher and researcher - with interests in the areas of dance, performance, media, autoethnography and post-structuralist and feminist theory - she works in the Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Literature and Language at Macquarie University.

Her path to qualify and compete at the Olympic Games was a delicate balance of teaching, research responsibilities and hours of intensive training.

After securing qualification at the Oceania Breaking Championships in Sydney in 2023, she would become Australia's inaugural woman to compete in Breaking at the Olympics.

It’s a remarkable achievement for someone who grew up dancing but didn’t start competing in breaking competitions until her mid-twenties.

“I wasn’t a sporty kid, I was more of a dance kid,” Rachael said. “I never thought the Olympics would be on the cards for me. It’s such a privilege.”

As the Australian Breaking Association’s top-ranked b-girl in the early 2020s, Rachael represented Australia at the World Breaking Championships in Paris in 2021 and in Seoul in 2022.

“I think a lot of people had doubted my ability to do it and maybe thought I was getting too old to be able to stay on top,” she said. “But I just kept pushing hard, I want to get better, and I want the scene to grow and get better.