Breaking or breakdancing (霹雳舞), will make its first appearance as an Olympic sport in August. The competition will take place at the largest public square in Paris, France. But when breaker Sunny Choi tells strangers she’ll be competing at the Olympics, they laugh. It can be hard to make people believe that breaking can be an Olympic sport. “I just have to hope that you see it one day,” says Choi.
Breaking, added to the Paris Olympics program in 2020, is a judged event, like gymnastics and figure skating. No one says those aren’t sports. And since breakers battle head-to-head, there’s no point system. Whoever moves better goes to the next round. “There’s no doubt in my mind this is a sport,” says Choi, whose first name is actually Sun. Her parents nicknamed her Sunny.
During Choi’s first year at college, she saw members of a breaking club dancing one evening. They asked her to come to a class. Choi’s gymnastics background gave her an advantage. After graduating from business school, Choi began to work as a cosmetics executive (化妆品销售员). But on the side, she kept breaking, and even took part in international competitions.
In late 2021, Choi attended a camp for the top breakers, where a coach asked aspiring Olympians (有抱负的奥运会选手) to raise their hands. Everyone’s hand went up except Choi’s. Working full-time as an executive while training to make the Olympic team seemed impossible. “It was a really hard decision,” she says. After finishing second at the World Games in July 2022, Choi left her job, and in 2023, she qualified (获得参赛资格) for Paris by winning the Pan American Games.
“I’m so much happier,” Choi says. “I feel lighter. I have more energy for the things I want to do.”
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