Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn on how she handled Olympic breakdancing anxiety

The Aussie breakdancer has spoken out about the real and devastating effect the viral fallout of her Olympic performance had on her.

Break-dancer Rachael “Raygun” Gunn has revealed she was already struggling with anxiety before the Olympics but her mental health became so bad following worldwide vitriol over her viral performance she felt “paralysed” and “panicky” if her husband left her side.

Opening up about her mental health struggles to encourage conversations as part of News Corp’s Can We Talk campaign, in partnership with Medibank, the 37-year-old said getting off social media, support from loved ones and regular appointments with her psychologist helped.

Gunn revealed she had started taking anti-anxiety medication about six months before Paris due to the immense pressure she felt ahead of being the first ever Australian female breaker to qualify for the Olympics.

“The Olympics is such a huge event and there’s so much pressure on you, regardless of your chances,” she said.

“My journey with anxiety started before the big day when everything changed, but because I’d already had that experience with it and a bit of a support structure in place it meant I was able to get through that whirlwind of an adventure and the wild ride a bit easier.”

Australia is in the grips of a mental health crisis, and people are struggling to know who to turn to, especially our younger generations. Can We Talk? is a News Corp awareness campaign, in partnership with Medibank, equipping Aussies with the skills needs to have the most important conversation of their life.

Raygun’s performance caused controversy around the world. Picture: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

But the months after were tough and she described feeling “paralysed” and “frozen” at times.

“I was just kind of stuck and paralysed until either Sammy (husband Samuel Free) came back or we found some friends or something,” she said.

“For a long time I generally felt out of my body, if that makes sense, like the whole world was different.

“I would have a good cry probably every couple of weeks because I felt so numb the rest of the time, like I couldn’t be angry, I couldn’t be upset, I was just trying to process everything that was happening.

“Then I would have a good cry and I would feel a bit better for a while.

“It’s still hard, to be honest, I still have bad days.”

But she has slowly been building back her confidence to do break dancing again.

“I used to practise on the street four nights a week, I still haven’t got the confidence to do that but I am able to break at home with Sammy and a friend and build from there,” she said.

“Now I’m actually starting to enjoy it again and it’s nice to be able to dance with no pressure and work on some moves.”

Gunn said she was still at Macquarie University marking essays and helping out with teaching.

“I’m working on some stuff behind the scenes … you certainly haven’t seen the last of me,” she said.

The Olympian also shared how she’d taken up the hobby of knitting.

“This is my mental health scarf,” she said, holding it up.

“It’s the most ridiculous thing, it’s so long, but it was because I was so restless watching TV or whatever, it helped me do something with my hands and keep them busy because I feel like I get a lot of anxiety.

“It’s just for me, so who cares, it will be ready in winter 2027 … it’s nice to do something that has no pressure and you can just keep working on it and feel a sense of accomplishment.

“This is the stuff you have to explore when you’re struggling with your mental health.”

Gunn says she’s slowly rebuilding her confidence to dance again. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

When she first returned to Australia and still wasn’t in a good enough place to leave home, Gunn also got into 1980s Aerobics Oz Style videos on YouTube for exercise.

“When I came back to Sydney, I could barely leave the house, so I wasn’t about to go to a gym or join a class so I looked on YouTube a lot for some workout videos,” she said.

“I did pilates and I’ve been doing yoga for years and I actually got into the old 80s Oz-Style Aerobics which were on YouTube.

“They’re fun, they’re good, they’re easy.”

Can We Talk? is a News Corp awareness campaign, in partnership with Medibank, helping Australian families better tackle mental wellbeing. To follow the series and access all stories, tips and advice, visit our new Health section.

Originally published as Rachael ‘Raygun’ Gunn on how she handled Olympic breakdancing anxiety