Sunny Choi is excited to give the Olympics a (head)spin.
Next month, the breakdancer will be one of the more than 500 athletes representing Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics. But competing at the Games isn’t just a first for her—it’s an inaugural moment for her sport as breaking is making its debut this year.
But for the former gymnast who discovered breaking in college before going on to pursue a corporate career, it’s also the culmination of a 15-year journey.
“I never thought that I was going to get an opportunity like this again,” Sunny told E! News in an exclusive interview. “I thought that having done gymnastics, seeing that career ended, I kind of was like, ‘Alright, well, that dream’s done,’ we were moving on. So, getting a second chance at all of that was like a sign that life was saying, ‘Hey, like, why don't you try something a little bit different? Why don't you do something that makes you happy?’”
Admittedly, she wasn’t exactly convinced breaking would ever make it to the sporting world’s biggest stage.
“I actually was really skeptical, because breaking, to me, had always been this very, very raw kind of gritty, street culture,” the 35-year-old explained, “And for so long, when I looked up to the Olympics, it was so refined, so elegant and breaking just seemed like the complete opposite. It has this energy that is just not really kind of felt in some of the other sports.”
However, soon the question became, “‘Am I willing to give up everything for this?’” For Sunny, who recalled being “really miserable” and “burnt out” working in the corporate world, the answer was ultimately a resounding yes. And last November, she became the first U.S. woman ever to qualify to compete in breaking at the Olympics.
Pushing back on expectations to pursue her dream is what made the Incredible Egg’s “Meant to Be Broken” campaign speak to her.
“For so much of my life, I've been doing things the way I was told I was supposed to do them,” she shared. “I'm finally taking the time to step out of that and say, ‘Hey, I'm going to put me first. I'm going to do what makes me happy.’ For me, that's pursuing my dreams to be an Olympian in a brand-new sport—in a sport that's also a little bit more unexpected as a woman, as an Asian American.”
It's also a chance for Sunny and her fellow competitors to bring breaking’s infectious atmosphere and diverse community to a new audience. “The event's going to be a little bit like a party,” she teased. “We have loud music, we've got an MC, we have a DJ, we're dancing. So, what is there not to love?”
As she put it, “It's about sharing that moment with everybody. It's not just about any one of us that day.”
She also hopes it inspires viewers to give it a go. “That breaking is a very accessible sport, “Sunny noted. “You don't really need to pay into classes, you don't have to start by going to studio, you don't need equipment, you don't need an arena. You just need flooring, music and maybe some friends.”
But as she gears up for Paris, the athlete is focusing on fueling herself physically and mentally, whether it be going to therapy, strength and conditioning or helping herself to a sweet treat. (Sunny’s go-to is her homemade custard freezes.)
And looking back at her “extremely fulfilling” road to the Olympics, Sunny sees this feat as her reaching her full potential.
“I've grown and I've changed so much as a human from the person I was when I first found breaking to the person I am today,” she expressed. “It's like, I almost don't recognize myself. I'm me, but just a very grown-up version of me—the very more wise and understanding and kind and the person I think I wanted to be. So I'm really grateful for this journey.”
Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, keep reading for some of the most viral moments from the sporting event.
Pita Taufatofua almost broke the internet during his appearance at the Opening Ceremony for the 2016 Olympics. Specifically, while serving as Tonga's flag bearer, the taekwondo practitioner made a stir after wearing a taʻovala, which featured his oiled and shirtless body.
He reprised his flag bearer position at both the 2018 Winter Olympics and the 2020 Summer Olympics—and we couldn't be more pleased.
The Snowflake in Sochi
There was a flurry of commotion after one of the electronic snowflakes for the 2014 Olympics' Opening Ceremony in Sochi failed to expand into an Olympic ring.
After Simone Biles revealed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that her celebrity crush was Zac Efron, the High School Musical alum surprised the Olympian and her teammates on NBC while they were in Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Games.
After Hoda Kotb teased Efron's presence, Biles declared, "If you bring him out, I think I'm going to pass out."
Thankfully, the gold medalist—who is now married to football player Jonathan Owens—didn't faint and got an A-list visit with the actor, which included a kiss on the cheek.
Lady Gaga Look-Alike
Tell me somethin', girl: Is that Lady Gaga?
Taekwondo competitor Julyana Al-Sadeq from Jordan had viewers doing a double-take as many thought she looked like the Grammy winner.
Shocked by the Scores
Ashley Wagner wasn’t happy after she saw her scores for the short program during the 2014 Olympics in Sochi.
“I looked at the scores, and with me, what you see is what you get. And I don’t make any apologies for it,” she explained to Bethenny Frankel on the talk-show Bethenny that year. “I made a face, and it was over. It was the face that went around the world.”
Despite that disappointment, Wagner ended the Olympics with a bronze medal in the team event.
Squirrel on the Slopes
A squirrel cheated death after running across the slopes during the 2018 Winter Olympics. In fact, Austrian snowboarded Daniela Ulbing impressively dodged the rodent during the Women's Parallel Giant Slalom event.
McKayla Maroney Is Unimpressed
McKayla Maroney became an instant meme when she debuted her unimpressed face after receiving the silver medal at the London Olympics.
"I remember doing the face for literally two seconds," the Olympian explained in a 2014 interview with Inside Gymnastics Magazine. "Like, if you watch the video, it's two seconds. And I remember thinking, did I just make a face? Because it's natural. I do it all the time. I have pictures of me when I'm little doing it. I have it on my Mac computer when I'm like 13."
With a record-breaking number of medals, Michael Phelps was already an intimidating opponent at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. And ahead of the 200-meter butterfly semifinal, the swimmer debuted a game face that sent the internet into a tizzy. He later revealed at the MTV Video Music Awards that he was listening to Future while getting in the zone, which caused this expression.
Coach Dean Boxall made an impression at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with his enthusiastic reaction to Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus beating U.S. athlete Katie Ledecky in the 400-meter freestyle and taking home the gold.
Supportive Parents
Aly Raisman's parents, Rick and Lynn Raisman, first went viral at the 2012 London Olympics after they were spotted squirming in their seats as their gymnast daughter competed for the gold.
While Rick told USA Today he was "a little horrified," he went on to bring the same energy to the 2016 Rio Olympics, where Aly—who won two golds and a bronze in London— took home another gold medal and two silvers.
Devin Logan's "Tiny Hands"
Silver medalist Devin Logan made a splash at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics by having an unexpected good-luck piece. The Olympic freeskier debuted tiny hand trinkets that she'd wave to the crowd after runs. After the tiny hands went viral, the Olympian revealed she got them from her brother.
American bobsledder Johnny Quinn made headlines at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi—but not for his performance on the course. The athlete found himself trapped in a bathroom and was forced to bust through the door. Understandably, this moment caused quite a stir online.
After the pools at the 2016 Olympics started turning green, people began wondering what was going on. According to CBS, the color change was caused by an incorrect amount of hydrogen peroxide being added to the water. Terrible for the Olympics committee, hilarious for those on Twitter.
The 2012 Olympics in London kicked off with a memorable opening ceremony thanks to James Bond (Daniel Craig) and Queen Elizabeth II. In the special intro, the secret agent accompanied the British monarch to the Summer Games, corgis and all. What we didn't expect? The Queen skydiving with Bond into the international event.
(We know she didn't actually skydive, but it gave us a chuckle nonetheless.)