Viral breakdancer Raygun has opened up on difficulties she experienced off the back of failing to score a single point at the Olympics in Paris.
The 36-year-old, real name Rachael Gunn, became one of the biggest talking points at the 2024 Olympics for all the wrong reasons.
The showpiece marked the debut of 'breaking' - a breakdancing event which was already taken off the agenda for the next Olympics in Los Angeles.
Raygun was the representative for Australia and qualified after winning the 2023 Oceania Breaking Championships.
Advert
However, she failed to register a point in any of her heats, having scored a zero from the judges for every single one of her performances.
Her unique routine which included moves such as hopping like a kangaroo, sprinkling and doing an impression of a snake on the floor, led to widespread negative comments and abuse online.
The mocking got to Gunn, a lecturer at Macquarie University, and she said she was left "pretty devastated" as she called for people to "stop harassing" members of her family and friends.
The vitriol, which included a petition which called for her to apologise, took its toll on Gunn's mental health and she opened up about struggles with anxiety before and after the Olympics and "barely" leaving the house off the back of the scolding she was subjected to.
Raygun has had to change previous routine after Olympics backlash
Feeling “paralysed” and “panicky” if her husband Sammy Free was not with her, Gunn was unable to find it within her to practice on the street as she used to but is slowly building up her confidence again.
“I used to practise on the street four nights a week, I still haven’t got the confidence to do that but I am able to break at home with Sammy and a friend and build from there,” she said in an open chat with the Herald Sun.
“Now I’m actually starting to enjoy it again and it’s nice to be able to dance with no pressure and work on some moves.”
Gunn also admitted to having "a good cry probably every couple of weeks" and still has "bad days" - though she has found that knitting, a social media cleanse and appointments with a psychologist has helped her.
Though she received such nasty remarks, Raygun was tipped to appear on a reality TV show, as well as bagging lucrative brand deals - and did tease some exciting news.
She revealed, “I’m working on some stuff behind the scenes … you certainly haven’t seen the last of me."
Topics: Olympics
Josh Lawless