When Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn โ whoโs better known under her stage name Raygun โ competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics, she became the focus of memes, ridicule and a deluge of parodies.
But one person wasnโt laughing. In fact, unlike pretty much all of social media at the time, he found her moves rather breathtaking.
Samuel Free, Gunnโs husband and coach, is among the key figures featured in the new Netflix documentary โUntold Raygun: Breaking Badly,โ which chronicles the events around the viral routine that set social media aflame.
The documentary, which was released Sept. 1, includes voices from other dancers who were less-than-impressed by Gunnโs breakdancing skills. But Free stands fiercely by Gunnโs moves, which included some, uh, odd choices like the sprinkler and a pose meant to mimic a kangaroo. He goes so far as to say that he was captivated by her routine.
โI was struck by the beauty of her performance,โ Free says in the documentary of her Olympics appearance.
Freeโs comments in the documentary have prompted social media users to describe the two as a match made in heaven, with some even hoping to find the same level of devotion in a partner.
โMay all of us have partners as supportive as Raygunโs husband was at the Olympics,โ one social media user wrote on Threads.
Raygun went viral after her two performances in Paris did not earn a single point from the judges across four rounds. There, she lost by a combined 36-0 to two competitors. And her moves elicited everything from memes to Halloween costumes.
competes during the B-Girls Round Robin – Group B on day fourteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Place de la Concorde on August 09, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)Ezra Shaw / Getty Images
How Did Raygun Meet Her Husband, Samuel Free?
Raygunโs connection to the sport actually goes back to Free, who is responsible for introducing her to breakdancing, the documentary shows.
Free, a breakdancer himself, once competed under the name Sammy Sex. He says in the doc that he became drawn to the art form at an early age when he watched the 1984 film โBreakin.โโ
โTheyโre doing big moves,โ Free says. โI didnโt even know people could do this!โ
He says he kept up with breakdancing through the years, which ended up being a โsticking pointโ in many of his romantic relationships throughout his 20s โ that is, until he met Gunn while working at a call center.
โI have a life-changing moment,โ Free recalls of meeting Gunn. โI remember walking past this girl in the break room.โ
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The two ended up hitting it off, according to the film. Gunn, who was in college at the time, says that Free โopened up my world.โ For Gunn, one particularly pivotal moment was when he took her to a breaking battle, she says.
โWalking into this space felt like I walked into a movie,โ Gunn says in the documentary.
It was after that battle, during which she was inspired by one of the women dancers, that she decided that she wanted to pursue breakdancing. And right by her side was Free.
โSammy was my cheer squad, my fan, my biggest supporter,โ Gunn, a university lecturer whose research revolved around breaking as well, says in the film. โHeโs special … makes you feel like you can do things when youโre around him.โ
Free, who eventually started to coach her, says that they began โbuilding a life together.โ And in 2018, the two got married.
โOur wedding was so beautiful,โ Gunn says over footage from their big day, which appeared to include quite a bit of craziness on the dance floor. โWe were just so happy.โ
How Did Free Help His Wife Prepare For The Olympics?
The two speak in the film about their experience preparing for the Olympics after Gunn had qualified to represent Oceania. They say that Gunn hit the gym and Free pushed her to train hard.
โI was like, โAs your husband, I am in awe of how hard your working. Props to you. As your coach, you need to work harder. This is not clean,โโ Free recounts.
In the lead-up to Paris, the couple says that they realized it was unlikely sheโd best any of the other competitors. So instead of focusing on power moves โ like windmills and headspins, for example โ they decided to take a different approach. Free suggested they shift the routine into an ode to Australia, helping her incorporate moves reminiscent of swimming and the now-infamous kangaroo freeze, they recount.
While in Paris, some others were weary of what Gunn had planned to do, Free was stoked.
โThis is Rachaelโs moment. Itโs her saying, โIโm doing me,โโ Free says.
What Did Raygunโs Husband Think Of The Aftermath Of The Performance?
The aftermath of Gunnโs performance was pretty ugly, the documentary shows. And Free says that the onslaught of memes, trolling and bullying from the internet was a โmassive trauma.โ At the time conspiracies spread that Free was on the committee that had chosen Gunn to represent their country in the Olympics โ something thatโs been shot down by organizers, other competitors and the couple themselves. Still, the two spent a few months in the Netherlands in an attempt to lie low and recover from the incident.
Itโs been a while since the 2024 Paris games, and Gunn admits that she was โcringe.โ
โI brought shame and embarrassment on the country,โ she says.
However, she underscores that sheโs still dancing and that โParis hasnโt defeated me.โ As for Free, heโs still standing right by her side.
He says that his wifeโs โperformance connected with people, whether thatโs genuine excitement and entertainment or outrage.โ
โIt generated discourse and got the entire world talking,โ he says.