Competing under the name Raygun, Gunn was preparing to take part in breaking, the sport making its first-ever appearance at the Olympics. In a new Netflix documentary chronicling her experience, the 38-year-old admitted she felt like an imposter in that moment. She described spotting a familiar face from the Olympic team and being overwhelmed with emotion, unable to stop crying as anxious thoughts flooded her mind about whether she truly belonged there. Just a few hours later, she was on a boat sailing down the River Seine with the rest of Team Australia, waving to the crowds lining the riverbanks.
A Viral Moment That Changed Everything
Gunn's Olympic run came to an end less than two weeks later after losing all three of her round-robin matches. Still, she walked away from the competition feeling proud of how she had done. I received positive feedback from the event's MC and world champion Dominika Banevic, aka Nicka, after my last round – she said I played well and the atmosphere was lively, she said.
What she didn't expect was that one particular routine, full of unconventional moves like the sprinkler and the kangaroo hop, would go viral almost immediately. This moment has created a huge number of memes, inspired a sketch on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and Adele even referenced it during a concert. Actor Chris Hemsworth also came out in support of Gunn on Jimmy Kimmel's show, while Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also weighed in to applaud her for at least trying. "It was surreal," Gunn said. "I never thought I would be a topic of conversation in places I never thought I'd be in.
Alongside the widespread attention came darker undertones, including conspiracy theories accusing Gunn of nepotism, particularly false claims that her husband and coach, Samuel Free, had sat on the selection committee that approved her Olympic qualification, which was untrue. Gunn said it was genuinely difficult having her and her husband's integrity, motives, and ethics publicly questioned, especially knowing that just a few minutes of research could easily disprove the rumors, yet many people simply didn't engage with information that way online. The intense scrutiny took a real toll on her mental health, and she admitted in the documentary that it felt like her entire life was falling apart around her, leaving her simply trying to get through each day. Working on the documentary, however, gave her a renewed sense of control over her own story, and she said processing everything took considerable time but has left her feeling like she finally has her voice back.
Chasing an Olympic Dream With a Creative Gamble
Gunn earned her spot on the Australian team through the Oceania Breaking Championships held in Sydney in 2023. She described the moment as unlike anything she'd experienced before, competing under international judges and feeling both relieved and thrilled once she qualified, though she quickly realized the whirlwind was only just beginning.
She soon had to adjust to living like a professional athlete, earning a scholarship with the New South Wales Institute of Sport in February 2024 that allowed her to start a structured strength and conditioning program. She described the experience as exciting but also overwhelming, training alongside people who had been developing these physical skills since childhood. During this period, the documentary reveals that her mother suffered three brain aneurysms, and Gunn herself began taking antidepressants to manage growing anxiety.
As competitions leading up to the Olympics progressed, Gunn began to fully grasp the scale of what she'd taken on, recognizing she would be competing against world champions with years of experience on major stages. Rather than trying to outmatch her competitors physically, she chose to lean into her own strengths, crafting a routine that playfully embraced her Australian identity. She explained that she knew she'd never outperform her competitors athletically, so she focused on creativity instead, reasoning that since creativity was part of the judging criteria, she and her team decided to fully commit to that approach in hopes of creating a memorable moment, never expecting the massive reaction that followed.
The documentary also reveals that Lowe Napalan, head of the Australian Breaking Association, was only able to help coach Gunn a handful of times ahead of the Games due to heavy administrative responsibilities. As a result, he saw her now-famous routine for the first time only moments before she performed at the Olympics, recalling that he stood just off to the side and had to hide his shock in real time.
Reports circulated in November 2024 suggesting the backlash had pushed Gunn to quit breaking altogether, a claim she firmly denies. She said she has no idea where that idea originated, emphasizing that she refuses to let the controversy take dancing away from her, adding that she loves breaking and will always remain part of the community. With the documentary now set for release, Gunn hopes it can help reshape the narrative around her Olympic experience, saying it feels good to finally share her full story and look toward the future with genuine excitement for the first time in a while.
