From a cavalcade of memes to an international Halloween costume trend, it’s truly been the year of Raygun. Unfortunately, Australia’s most famous (or infamous) dancer is ending her career on a bitter note.
Rachel Gunn, better known as Raygun, gained the world’s attention in Paris this summer following an unconventional performance in the Olympic breaking competition. The 37-year-old’s “unique” moves, which earned her zero points, sparked both laughter and widespread criticism from audiences worldwide.
Now, that level of negative attention seems to have reached a boiling point with Gunn revealing in an interview on a Sydney radio show that her competing days are behind her.
“I’m not going to compete anymore, no,” Gunn told 2DayFM on Wednesday. “I was going to keep competing, for sure, but that seems really difficult for me to do now to approach a battle… It’s been really upsetting. I just didn’t have any control over how people saw me or who I was.”
While it’s a devastating bit of news for her fans, few should be surprised by Gunn’s decision, especially after she sparked a widespread online petition that alleged she “manipulated” the Olympic process to her own advantage
A few weeks back, Raygun graced the cover of Australia’s Stellar Magazine, revealing that her mental health struggles (sparked by this summer’s events) remain ongoing. But she’s doing the best she can to overcome them.
“I’m working through mental health stuff, seeing my psychologist, doing exercise when I don’t feel like it, doing breathing exercises,” she explained.
“Every time I leave the house, go out for dinner, go to the shops or do a fashion shoot and pop my head back up, it’s saying, ‘No, you did not bring me down. You did not succeed. I still stand by what I did. It’s ok to be different. It’s ok to be yourself. You don’t have the power you think you do.’”
While we won’t be seeing her hit the kangaroo pose anymore, the B-Girl hasn’t given up dancing altogether.
“I still dance, and I still break, but that’s like, in my living room with my partner,” she said.
- You might also like:
- Budweiser steps in after Leafs tried to shut up beer-loving fan