The Australian Breakout Star: Raygun s Rise to Fame

BRISBANE, Australia— Rachael Gunn’s polarising Olympic performance was followed by her panic as she was hounded through the streets of Paris.

The 37-year-old university lecturer from Sydney, who celebrated her birthday on Monday, perplexed both experts and casual spectators in the sport of breaking with an unusual act that featured mimicking a kangaroo.

Breaking was contested at the Olympics for the first time. It might also be a one-time event, with no Olympic games set for Los Angeles in 2028 or Brisbane, Australia in 2032.

“Raygun,” as she was dubbed, was thereafter mocked on social media, with some tweets doubting the Olympic qualification procedure.

In a television appearance for The Project on Australia’s Channel 10, she described being trailed by cameras through Paris streets and dealing with the extremely public reaction to her performance.

“That was really wild,” she stated in rare public remarks following the event. “What should I do if people are chasing me? That truly made me panic. I was frightened to go out in public. It was quite nerve-racking for a while.”

She apologised for the uproar, but defended her performance and expressed gratitude for support from others in the sport.

“It is really sad to hear those criticisms,” she told me. “I am deeply sorry for the backlash in the community, but I have no control over how others react. People’s energy and hatred was quite disturbing.

“Although I went out there to have fun, I took it extremely seriously. I worked my buttocks off training for the Olympics, giving it my all. “I believe my record speaks to that.”

She had already defended her qualification for Paris, which she confirmed on the television broadcast.

“I won the Oceania Championship. “It was a direct qualifier,” Gunn explained. “There were nine judges, all from abroad. I knew my chances were limited from the moment I qualified for the Olympics.

“People didn’t understand breaking and were just angry about my performance,” she told me. “The conspiracy ideas were simply nasty, which was quite upsetting. People are now targeting our reputation and honesty, and none of them are supported by facts.”

Gunn’s performance was criticised online and on television, including a sketch on Jimmy Fallon’s late-night program.

“I don’t know whether to, like, hug him or yell at him because what a platform he ended up giving me,” Gunn exclaimed. “I don’t think I’m in a place yet to watch it but I will watch it at some point.”

Otherwise, Gunn said she is just trying to cope a month later, with the support of therapy.

“I definitely have my ups and downs, good and bad days,” she told me. “It has been incredible to see the wonderful feedback to my performance. I never imagined I’d be able to connect with so many people in a positive way… but it has been difficult at times. Fortunately, I received mental health assistance quite fast.”