Australian breakdancer Rachel Gunn has revealed her next move following her viral performance at the Paris Olympics.
Although she has rubbed shoulders with billionaires such as Richard Branson and pop stars such as Boy George, the 37-year-old Olympian, known as Raygun, will return to work in Sydney.
In addition to breakdancing, Raygun is a lecturer and researcher at Macquarie University in the Department of Media, Communications and Creative Arts.
On Tuesday, the university confirmed that it will resume teaching next week.
The dancer landed back Down Under on Monday after the World Dance Sport Federation controversially ranked her as the world’s number one breakdancer.
This comes at a time when the viral sensation appears to have improved after her time in the spotlight.
The dancer showed off her sun-kissed skin and wrinkle-free complexion as she landed in Australia.
Dressed in baggy jeans and a faded turquoise T-shirt, Raygun looked decidedly cheerful as she strolled through the terminal.
Australian breakdancer Rachel Gunn has revealed her next move following her viral performance at the Paris Olympics. Pictured here with Richard Branson
As well as breakdancing, Raygun is a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Media, Communications and Creative Arts at Macquarie University. The university has confirmed that she will return to her teaching duties next week.
Her brown hair was straightened and tied into a messy bun while tortoiseshell sunglasses rested atop her head.
Her look was a far cry from her Olympic breakdancing debut, where she sported the Australian team uniform and a pair of white New Balance sneakers.
At the time, her hair was wavy and styled in a short bob under her green and gold cap.
The break dancer instantly became a meme for her routine at the Olympics, which became the most talked-about moment of the event.
The 37-year-old, known by the stage name Raygun, returned home to Australia on Monday in high spirits and looking much different. Pictured: Raygun last month
Her unique moves, which included kangaroo hops and floor slides, did not serve her well in competition and she faced an onslaught of ridicule as she became a global sensation.
Last week, Raygun gave her first television interview about the viral moment, appearing on The Project on Wednesday to discuss the ordeal with host Waleed Aly.
During the revealing interview, Raygun doubled down on her viral routine, blaming it on a “lack of resources,” before revealing she plans to quit competing in a shocking move for her career.
He also admitted that he hadn’t even seen his now infamous performance and lashed out at his critics by passionately insisting that they don’t “get” breakdancing.
Following accusations that he mocked breakdancing, Raygun has hit out at his critics, claiming they do not understand his “artistic” style and called for more resources to be allocated to the sport in Australia.
“Unfortunately, we just need more resources in Australia to have a chance of beating the world champions,” he shared.
The Australian breakdancer became a global sensation after her unique dance moves took the world by storm. Pictured here, she recreates her kangaroo pose with Boy George and her husband Samuel.
‘You know, historically, unfortunately, we haven’t had the best record of winning World Championships, so, you know, I don’t think it’s just my fault.’
“However, a lot of the responses are simply due to people not being very familiar with breaking and the diversity of approaches to it,” he continued.
‘It was so fantastic that the next day the president of the jury, MG, came out and explained that in the breaking community what I did was actually not very shocking.
“You know, it’s just a different approach to breaking. You have athletic style breakers and you also have more artistic style breakers and all of them are very valid.”
She recently danced with Sir Richard Branson, who imitated her kangaroo move.
Although her performance has been widely viewed around the world, Raygun admitted that she has not watched it due to the negative reaction.
“I haven’t watched it again, no. It’s not unusual for me though. I’m not very good at rewatching my battles,” she shared.
“It’s still going to take some time. I think I’ve seen little bits and pieces, but yeah, I’ll see it one day.”
Raygun’s time in the spotlight following the Paris Olympics shows no signs of slowing down, if one of his recent high-profile teammates is any guide.
On Saturday morning Australian time, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson danced alongside the controversial artist as they sailed on a Virgin Voyages celebratory trip around the Mediterranean.
Video footage shows Raygun being welcomed on stage to loud applause and talking about what she loves most about breakdancing.
“It’s about relaxing, having fun and being yourself, and I love that,” Raygun said.
The B-girl then heads to the dance floor before Branson joins her, performing the infamous kangaroo hop move.
—Oh, Richard, that was three weeks ago, come on, Raygun said, laughing.
Gunn spoke to the media for the first time in a television interview on The Project this month.
