No two journeys to the Olympics are alike, but Sunny Choi’s path feels especially unique. A former competitive gymnast and Ivy League graduate who transitioned to a corporate career at Estée Lauder, the 35-year-old Choi is now one of the pioneering athletes competing in breaking (colloquially known as breakdancing) at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.
Choi’s introduction to breaking came during her college years, and she acknowledges the profound impact the sport has had on her personal growth. It took years for her to trust her talent enough to pursue breaking full-time, which she finally did after finishing second at the World Games in 2022.
Transitioning from a corporate job to breaking was a challenging decision for Choi, but ultimately the right one. She reflects on the contrast between the reward-for-performance culture of the corporate world and the self-expression and personal growth inherent in breaking. For Choi, breaking is about authenticity and discovering one’s true self, both on and off the dance floor.
Choi’s journey to breaking also involved overcoming struggles with mental health, rooted in years of pushing herself to meet conventional standards of success. Through therapy, she gained the vocabulary to express her struggles and learned to prioritize her mental well-being, making mental health practices like walks, breaks, yoga, and cooking essential parts of her routine.
Embracing breaking meant confronting her fear of failure, and Choi sees her journey to the Olympics as a testament to choosing happiness and self-fulfillment. She views the upcoming Games as a culmination of her personal growth and perseverance, regardless of the outcome.
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