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Rachael Gunn

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Rachael Gunn (born 1987 or 1988) is an Australian breakdancer and academic researching the "cultural politics of breaking". She is a lecturer at Macquarie University in the Department of Media, Communications, Creative Arts, Language and Literature.[1][2]

Gunn is set to compete in breaking at the 2024 Summer Olympics, the sport's inaugural debut at the games.

Early life and education[edit]

Gunn was born in Hornsby, New South Wales.[2] She danced as a child, and was trained in ballroom, tap, and jazz styles.[2][3]

Gunn attended Macquarie University for her bachelor's degree in contemporary music, graduating in 2009, and for her PhD in cultural studies, graduating in 2017.[1] Her PhD thesis focused on "the intersection of gender and Sydney’s breaking culture".[2]

Breakdancing career[edit]

Gunn breaks under the nickname Raygun.[1] She began breakdancing in the early 2010s, when she was in her mid-20s.[2][3] Gunn paused competing while finishing her PhD, and returned to competitions in 2018.[3] She is coached by her husband, Samuel Free,[4] and trains for three to four hours a day.[5]

She has competed for Australia at the 2021 World Breaking Championships in Paris, the 2022 World Breaking Championships in Seoul, and the 2023 World Breaking Championships in Leuven, Belgium.[1][2] In 2023, she won the Oceania Breaking Championships, securing her a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics.[2][3]

Personal life[edit]

Gunn met her husband, fellow breakdancer Samuel Free, at university in 2008.[4]

Publications[edit]

  • Gunn, Rachael (2016-03-03). "The 'systems of relay' in doing cultural studies: experimenting with the 'Body without Organs' in b-girling practice". Continuum. 30 (2): 183–194. doi:10.1080/10304312.2016.1143194. ISSN 1030-4312.
  • Gunn, Rachael (2019). "Nocturnal Paradox: How Breakdancing Reveals the Potentials of the Night". In Stahl, Geoff; Bottà, Giacomo (eds.). Nocturnes: Popular Music and the Night. Cham: Springer International Publishing. pp. 147–162. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-99786-5_10. ISBN 978-3-319-99786-5. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  • Gunn, Rachael (2022-08-18). "Where the #bgirls at? politics of (in)visibility in breaking culture". Feminist Media Studies. 22 (6): 1447–1462. doi:10.1080/14680777.2021.1890182. ISSN 1468-0777.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d "Rachael Gunn". Macquarie University. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Rachael Gunn". Australian Olympic Committee. 2024-02-24. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  3. ^ a b c d Snape, Jack (2024-04-20). "Breaker Rachael Gunn: 'We are essentially being used to up the Olympic ratings'". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  4. ^ a b Rocca, Jane (2024-07-03). "She is 36, has a PhD and is heading to the Olympics to compete in breakdancing". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2024-07-07.
  5. ^ Gebilagin, Lizza (2024-03-11). "How Rachael Gunn is breakdancing her way to the Paris Olympics". Body and Soul.
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