Rachael “Raygun” Gunn is calling it quits on her professional break career.
The Aussie dancer says she was met with a “level of scrutiny” that made dancing “really difficult” following her infamous Olympics debut in August.
Gunn, 37, disclosed her retirement after she went viral for the style of breakdancing she brought to the streets of Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games.
“I still break, but I don’t compete. I’m not gonna compete anymore,” Gunn revealed on Australia’s 2DayFM “The Jimmy and Nath Show” Wednesday.
“Dancing is so much fun and it makes you feel good and I don’t think people should feel crap about, you know, the way that they dance,” she told the radio show.
Gunn says she still breaks but only at home with her partner as it has become “really difficult” for her to do now.
The Olympian blamed the expected level of publicity and opinions everyone had on her unorthodox techniques were the reasons that led to her retirement.
“I think the level of scrutiny that’s going to be there and the people who will be filming it and it’ll go online,” she said. “It’s just not going to mean the same thing. It’s not going to be the same experience because of everything that’s at stake.”
In her three round-robin matches, Gunn showcased her unique moves including spinning on her head, rolling on her back and breaking out a move called “the kangaroo,” paying homage to Australia’s national animal.
Gunn finished the Olympics with zero points leading people to question how she qualified for Paris in the first place.
Following her viral performances, internet rumors began spreading amok with conspiracy theories with one suggesting she was an embed to rig the Games.
Raygun called the theories “totally wild” and “impossible to process.”
“It was really upsetting because I felt like I just didn’t have any control over how people saw me or who I was,” she said.
Despite the many hate-filled and negative messages she has received, she was also overwhelmed with the positive ones she got from fans.
“It was really upsetting, but I just try and stay on the positive,” she said. “That’s what gets me through. The people that (say) ‘you have inspired me to go out there and do something that I’ve been to shy to do. You’ve bought joy, you’ve bought laughter, we’re so proud of you.’”
“Just really fricken lovely things that people have written and that is what I hold on to.”
Gunn told her fans to not let anyone discourage them from doing what they love and make it their own.
“So if you get out there and you have fun on the dance floor, then just own it.”
