So who actually is Rachel Gunn aka Raygun, the 36 year old lecturer turned breakdancer?

The fact she has a PhD in breakdancing is taking me out

3 months ago

Unless you’ve been living under a rock there’s no way you haven’t seen the infamous dancing exploits of breakdancer Rachel Gunn, aka Raygun. She certainly made quite a mark on all of us during her performance in the Olympics, although despite her best efforts she ultimately scored zero from all the judges. Yikes.

But whilst we might all know Raygun for her less than stellar skills as a breakdancer, it turns out there’s a lot more to Rachel Gunn than first meets the eye. So, from her day job as a university lecturer to how she managed to get to the Olympics, let’s have a nosey look inside her life.

She’s a 36 year old university lecturer

View this post on Instagram

Most Read

Love Island finalist Ron Hall has a new girlfriend – and it’s an Islander he was in the villa with!

Nathan breaks silence on MAFS UK split and reveals Lacey left him ‘heartbroken’

The heartbreaking reason behind Tulisa’s transformation and why she looks so different now

A post shared by Rachael Gunn (@raygun_aus)

As well as being a professional breakdancer, when Rachel Gunn is not busy being Raygun, she’s a lecturer at Sydney’s Macquarie University with a PhD in Cultural Studies.

She’s previously joked about her surprised her students were about her extracurricular activities, revealing: “In 2023, many of my students didn’t believe me when I told them I was training to qualify for the Olympics, and were shocked when they checked Google and saw that I qualified.”

She genuinely has won breakdancing competitions before

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rachael Gunn (@raygun_aus)

In case you’re feeling slightly baffled as to how she managed to get a place in the Olympics, because same, I can confirm she has won other competitions before.

She won the 2023 Oceania Breaking Championship which made her eligible to go to the Olympics, and also represented Australia at the 2021 and 2022 World Championships. We need a Dodgeball-esque film to come out about this sport immediately.

She’s always dreamed of competing in the Olympics

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Lucas Marie (@ippppppppy)

Rachel admitted she “pushed herself harder than ever” to make sure she qualified for the games.

She told CNBC: “In breaking, you just never know what’s going to happen on the day. You always have to be prepared. I knew the stakes were higher for the Olympic qualifiers, and prepared 10 different sets and made sure I included all the elements and moves in the rounds. I really, really, wanted it, and so I fought really hard throughout the competition and just put everything out there.”

Her coach and now husband introduced her to the sport

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Rachael Gunn (@raygun_aus)

It was Rachel’s coach turned boyfriend and now husband who first introduced her to the sport after he noticed she picked up the beat and rhythm of the music quicker than the other students.

Since then she’s worked hard to develop her own personal style for breakdancing, which she describes as: “Style and creativity, not dynamics or power moves like many other dancers.”

For more like this article about the breakdancer Rachel Gunn aka Raygun, and all the latest news, drops, quizzes and memes, like The Tab on Facebook.