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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
John Pye

Raygun reveals devastating impact of Olympic mockery in Netflix documentary: ‘I felt like I was falling into a dark pit’

When breaking made its Olympic debut in Paris, the reaction to Australian competitor Raygun was swift, prompting an immediate flood of memes and mockery.

Rachael Gunn had already sensed how things might turn out after seeing a therapist before the 2024 Games.

A trailer for Untold Raygun: Breaking Badly, a Netflix documentary released this month, begins with Gunn recalling a frantic therapy session right before the Games when she was asked what the worst outcome could be.

"The whole world could laugh at me," she recalled answering, before adding that her therapist replied: "Do you think that's reasonable?"

The clip then plays sounds and footage of hysterical laughter following her infamous routine in France.

In the film, the Sydney-based breaker reflected on her feelings following the event.

Australia Breaking Bad Raygun (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)
Australia Breaking Bad Raygun (Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

"I was cringe. I brought shame and embarrassment on the country. That was rough," she said. "I felt like my life was just crumbling before me in a way that I could never have anticipated, and I was just trying to get through the day. I felt like I was falling into a dark pit."

Her routines, featuring moves like the kangaroo and the sprinkler, received zero votes from Olympic judges but went viral. Gunn admitted that while initial responses were funny, "then the tone started to change. And it just kept getting more crazy."

A planned musical named after her in December 2024 was ultimately staged under a different title after legal intervention.

Gunn said the fallout left her "devastated" and forced her competitive retirement, though she enjoyed attention from figures like late-night host Jimmy Fallon.

The documentary also addresses qualification rumours and her emotional state. Now no longer a university lecturer, her website describes her as a "speaker, educator, and performer who brings energy, insight, and positivity to every stage."

As she states in the film: "I can’t just be a meme."

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