Dr Rachael Gunn, a 36-year-old Macquarie University professor, made headlines for her breaking performances at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
While some heralded ‘Raygun’ (her dancing alter-ego) as a cultural hero, others were critical of her unconventional moves; some even poked fun at her uniform.
“All my moves are original,” Raygun told reporters following the three battles, of which she sadly lost.
“I was always the underdog and wanted to make my mark in a different way.”
Ahead of the Olympics, the professor also encouraged people to be authentic.
“Don’t be afraid to be different. Go out there and represent yourself, you never know where that’s gonna take you,” she said.
As for the backlash about her uniform, Raygun pointed out the double standard.
“Looking forward to the same level of scrutiny on what the bboys wear tomorrow,” she wrote on her Instagram story.
Jumping to the 36-year-old’s defence was Australia’s Chef de Mission, Anna Meares, who reinforced that Rachael is the country’s “best female breakdancer”.
“In 2008, she was locked in a room crying, being involved in a male- dominated sport as the only woman,” Anna said in a press conference.
“And it took great courage for her to continue on and fight for her opportunity to participate in a sport that she loved.
“I absolutely love her courage. I love her character and I feel very disappointed for her, that she has come under the attack that she has.”
Before her Olympic debut, New Idea sat down with Rachael and her fellow breaking representative Jeff Dunne. Read the full interviews below.
Dr Rachael Gunn (AKA: Raygun)
By day Dr Rachael Gunn is an academic, but by night she is Australia’s number one B-Girl, shaking up the sport’s image.
Rachael, aka Raygun, has a PhD in the cultural politics of breaking. She says she can’t wait to trade her lecture halls for the Place de la Concorde.
“When I started breaking in my mid-twenties, I never thought I’d be an elite athlete representing my country at the biggest games in the world,” Rachael, 36, tells New Idea.
“It’s getting so exciting now and I just want to perform in a way that makes Australians proud.”
Rachael is a lecturer in the Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Literature and Language at Sydney’s Macquarie University.
She first became intrigued with breaking when she accompanied Samuel Free, who is now her husband and coach, to his breaking training session in 2008.
Rachael, who learnt ballet, tap and jazz as a child, says she didn’t take it up seriously until she saw a woman in the centre of a breaking circle surrounded by men in 2011.
“That moment stood out for me, and I thought ‘I can do this too’,” Rachael says.
“Having men and women participate and dance together equally at the Games is such a positive outcome for everyone.”
Jeff Dunne
When Jeff Dunne learnt breaking had become an official Olympic sport, he made a bold declaration.
“I ran to my mum and said, ‘I’m going to the Olympics!’” Jeff, 16, recalls. “She just laughed thinking it was absurd as I was only 12 at the time.”
Four years later, Jeff, also known as J-Attack, is the youngest among the B-Boys competing for gold beneath the Eiffel Tower.
Jeff tells New Idea he discovered breaking as a seven-year-old when he joined his older sister’s hip-hop classes.
It quickly become a passion, which saw him claim his first Australian Youth Championship at the age of 12. He’s since won titles all over the world.
“I just love all the power moves like spinning on your hand or your head,” Jeff, from Casuarina, NSW, says.
The high-school student recently ramped up his training regime to six hours a day, which includes strength training and relentlessly practicing his dance routines.
Born in the Philippines, Jeff was adopted when he was one by Rhondda and Tony Dunne.
Rhondda says she has been helping Jeff prepare for the Paris Games by writing affirmations on green and gold paper.
“His bedroom walls are covered with them, saying things like ‘Believe in yourself’ and ‘Never give up’,” the proud mum shares.
“Jeff wants to make the podium, so he’s going to give it everything he can.”
What is breaking?
Breakdancing – known as ‘breaking’ – debuted at the Olympics on 9 August 2024.
The competition consisted of individual battles where 16 B-Boys and 16 B-Girls faced off in solo battles.
Athletes used a combination of power moves – including windmills, the six-step and freezes – adapting their style and improvising to the beat of the DJ’s tracks.
The ‘breaker’ with the highest number of points advanced to the next round.
Breakers didn’t know what music they would be performing to.
