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Meet

“Raygun is not an untouchable celebrity calling out for fame or a sports star looking to milk her 15 minutes in the spotlight – she is an everyday human being trying to help her fellow Australians.”
— Jarryd Rowley, About Regional

Dr Rachael Gunn is an Olympian, academic, and dancer whose journey has taken her from the university lecture hall to the Olympic stage and, unexpectedly, to viral internet fame. Known for her sharp insight and sense of humour, she brings warmth and relatability to every audience she engages with. Rachael is passionate about empowering others to embrace authenticity, resilience, and creativity, drawing on her unique blend of scholarly expertise, elite performance experience, and lived insight. Beyond her work in sport and academia, she is committed to giving back through community and charity initiatives, using her platform to support causes close to her heart.

A young woman in casual clothing, including a tie-dye t-shirt and jeans, breakdancing on stage at a competition with a large electronic scoreboard in the background showing names and scores of participants from Australia and Japan.

Raygun has always been a dancer, but she came to breaking later in life, entering her first competition in 2012 at the age of 25. At the time, the scene was still underground and heavily male-dominated, and she never imagined her path would lead all the way to the Olympic stage. Most of her competitive career has been spent battling alongside, and against, male dancers, an experience that has fuelled her advocacy for bgirls and younger breakers. Rachael has long been committed to creating more inclusive spaces within the breaking community. Over the years she has competed across Australia and internationally, representing Australia at multiple world championships and testing herself against some of the best in the scene. And despite the speculation after Paris, she hasn’t hung up her sneakers: as she often says, “You don’t retire from culture.”

bgirl

Person performing a breaking move on the ground, head down and legs in the air, against a dark background.

TITLES

  • 1# Ranked Australian Bgirl - 2023

  • Winner - 2023 – Oceania Breaking Championships, 1v1 Bgirl

  • Winner - 2023 – Destructive Steps, 1v1 Bgirl

  • Winner - 2023 – ABA Battles Series 6, 1v1 Bgirl

  • Winner - 2022 – ABA Battles Series 5, 1v1 Bgirl

  • Winner - 2022 – ABA Battles Series 4, 1v1 Bgirl

  • 1# Ranked Australian Bgirl - 2021

  • Winner - 2021 – ABA Battle Series 3, 1v1 Bgirl

  • Winner - 2021 – ABA Battle Series 2, 1v1 Bgirl

  • Runner Up - 2021 - ABA Battle Series 1, 1v1 Bgirl

  • 1# Ranked Australian Bgirl - 2020

  • Winner - 2019 - Ryugi Vol. 25, 1v1 Bgirl

  • Runner Up - 2019 - Destructive Steps 11, 1v1 Bgirl

  • Winner – 2019 - Rhythm Faction’s 10 Year Anniversary, Crew (open)

  • Runner Up – 2016 - Battle of the Year: Australia Qualifier, 2v2 Bgirl

  • Winner - 2014 - Sydney Bboy League, Crew (open)

  • Runner Up – 2013 - Mind Control, 2v2 (open)

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Expert

Rachael has a PhD in cultural studies, and completed her thesis on the gender politics of Sydney’s breaking culture in 2017. Since then, she has been a lecturer in media and popular culture at Macquarie University (Sydney). She has built a strong research profile on the cultural politics of breaking and street dance, where she has explored the themes of identity, community, the body, and the transformative power of dance. Even as an academic, she has tried to ensure her work has broader impact. From completing a study on street dancers’  experiences of dancing in public space for the City of Sydney, to invitations to write for The Economist and The Conversation, Rachael’s work has reached a broad audience, even before Paris.

Topics include: gender, identity, culture, representation, street dance, breaking, urban sports.

Published works
Group of five people standing on stage holding a large check for $10,000 made out to Women's Resilience Centre. They are smiling, with a purple and yellow backdrop and banners behind them.

Since the Games…

Since going viral at the Olympic Games, Rachael has experienced both the opportunities and challenges that come with suddenly being in the spotlight. While the attention was overwhelming at times and took a toll on her mental health, it also deepened her commitment to giving back. She has since used her platform to raise funds and awareness for charities supporting mental health, women’s shelters, and community-based organisations. Drawing on these experiences, Rachael now shares her journey through speaking and workshops, helping others build resilience, stay motivated, navigate social media, and embrace creativity.

Speaking
Workshops

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