Raygun set to break boundaries at Paris Olympics

Australia's first Olympic breakdancer Rachael Gunn on balancing studies and representing the country

Paris 2024 will be the first time breakdancing features in the Olympic Games and Australia's breakdancing community has its eyes set on one name: Raygun.

The 20-year-old, whose real name is Rachael Gunn, has been in the breaking scene for more than a decade and is widely regarded as one of the top female breakers (or b-girls) in Australia. She's a member of the renowned Ground Kontrol crew and has won numerous national and international competitions.

Gunn's journey to the Olympics has been a long and challenging one. She began training at the age of eight and has spent countless hours honing her skills. She's also had to overcome financial barriers and a lack of support along the way from the Australian Olympic body.

Undeterred, Gunn has remained dedicated to her dream of competing in the Olympics. She's balanced her training with her studies at the University of Wollongong, where she is majoring in exercise science. She's also been working part-time to help pay for her training expenses.

Gunn's perseverance has paid off. In May 2023, she was selected to represent Australia at the Paris Olympics. She will be competing in the women's breaking event, which will make its Olympic debut in 2024.

Gunn is excited about the opportunity to compete at the Olympics and represent Australia on the world stage. She knows that she will be facing tough competition, but she is confident that she can give it her best shot.

"I'm just going to go out there and do my thing," she said. "I'm going to represent Australia to the best of my ability and make everyone proud."