How Sunny Choi Preps For the Olympics

When you’re with Sunny Choi, the sun will come out today, actually. Or at least that’s how it feels. After just one conversation with the first-ever woman breakdancer to represent the US at the 2024 Olympics, I felt I suddenly had the strength to conquer all my goals, clean my closet, and fit in a hot yoga session.

Choi has an — um — sunny (!) disposition and lots of wisdom to share, whether she’s talking about coping with nerves ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris or about leaving her prestigious day job at Estée Lauder to pursue her breaking dreams full time. This was after the International Olympics Committee announced in 2020 they’d have breaking at the 2024 Summer Games, and after Choi finished second at the World Games in July 2022.

Taking the plunge and making breaking her full-time job paid off. In Nov. 2023, Choi nailed a front flip at the Pan American Games and officially qualified for this Olympics. Before she headed to Paris for the big event, she sat down with PS to talk about her journey.

PS: What was your reaction when you first learned breaking was going to be an Olympic sport?

Sunny Choi: When I first heard that it could happen, before the final vote, I thought it was a joke. It’s not because breaking couldn’t be an Olympic sport. It’s just that the Olympics have been so straight for so long and there’s this energy and rawness in breaking that you don’t see in a lot of the traditional Olympic sports — so many of those feel so elegant and refined. So, in my head, I thought: “There’s just no way.’ Breaking as a sport is also decentralized, and I never thought it would be coming together under an international infrastructure. So I was maybe a little skeptical of whether we could do that. But, it turns out, we did. It all worked out and we’re here.

When it actually happened and breaking was officially in, I started questioning, “Well, is this what I want to do?”

PS: Right, and you made the leap from a comfortable job at Estee Lauder to pursue your Olympic dreams. What gave you the courage to do that?

SC: It honestly just took so much introspection and soul-searching. I had to question myself and ask: “What is the real reason why I haven’t pursued this?” I had all these excuses, but, honestly, they all had solutions. The financial instability was scary but I knew that I could save up enough to make it through at least one year.

I had to dig deep to figure out what was stopping me from breaking full-time — it ended up being that I was scared to fail. When I realized that I was the only one standing in my way — there was no actual obstacle — I couldn’t let that happen.

For other people who are at a point in life where they need to make a hard decision like this, I think it’s really about taking the time to sit with it and figure out what it is that’s stopping you. Trust your gut. Listen to your heart. As long as you’re willing to put in the work that it takes to get what you need to get — you got this.

PS: Has your definition of “failure” changed since you went on this journey and realized that’s the fear that was holding you back?

SC: It has changed completely. Honestly, I don’t think that I can fail anymore. The way that I was viewing ‘failure’ — it was flawed. I’ve realized there is no real failure. [There are] just lessons. It’s just life. We always make mistakes — we always do things that don’t quite work out. We can see things as failure or we can see them as: “Oops, we’re human.” We move on and we learn from it and we become stronger. The bigger the mistake, the stronger we get. You can’t let the fear of failure hold you back.

I think it’s really about changing the perspective on failure and not seeing it as failure but seeing it as opportunity. Because at the end of the day, it’s a missed opportunity if you don’t take it, but it’s not necessarily a failure, even if you don’t succeed, because it’s not just about the end goal, but it is about the journey. By changing my mindset on failure, everything became possible, as opposed to everything being scary.

PS: Training and preparing to compete in the Olympics has to be stressful. How do you keep your nerves in check?

It’s really challenging. I get lots of anxiety all the time. I have all these do lists in my head and I’m always kind of just spiraling about things that could potentially go wrong — or even all the things that could potentially go right. My brain doesn’t really quiet down easily, so I do a lot of different things to get out of my head … like hot Vinyasa [yoga].

Another way is being in the kitchen cooking. I just turn on some music, turn off my brain, and stuff comes together. Not only is food a place for me to flex my creative muscles, but it’s also fuel for what I do. It’s a win-win situation. Sometimes on Saturday my boyfriend will be like: “Oh, is this a baking day?” We’ll make some cookies and treat ourselves. I have a sweet tooth, and I partnered with Incredible Egg to make this Custard Freeze recipe. Sometimes I’ll make a big batch and at night when I’m exhausted, I’ll just get a little bit of frozen custard and sit with it and zone out for a while because my brain is so exhausted.

But, honestly, at the end of the day, the nerves are a part of the journey. Sometimes those nerves are gonna take over and there’s nothing you can do about it, but you just have to kind of take it as it comes and roll with the punches because this is not meant to be easy. It’s really about figuring out your coping mechanisms and doing them to the best of your ability.

PS: You’ve also been really open about struggling with mental health in the past. How have you prioritized that in preparation for Paris?

SC: I’m working with a therapist through the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee — that’s been extremely helpful. To be honest, there are times when I slip up, I’m human. There are times where I realize, “Oh, I haven’t talked to her in a couple of weeks now. I need to make an appointment.” But even then, I know I’m putting in the work and I realize that I need it.

While I’m doing all this, I also have to give myself grace because this is a challenging process so, of course, I’m going to miss an appointment here and there.

Right now, I’m working on being really present at the Games and really being able to enjoy that moment. For me, being successful at the Games is not about winning the gold medal, it’s about being able to show up for myself and to just be me out there. Crazy enough that’s really, really hard to do.

I’m also trying to show myself grace. I can only be the best that I can be that day and that’s gonna look different every single day.

PS: How do you feel after you’ve just had a great breaking session?

It’s honestly bliss. When I’m dancing, I get into this headspace where I feel very calm. Everything is quiet and it’s just me being me. When you come out of that and you really feel good about it, there’s no better feeling in the world. It’s one of those things you catalog in your brain and never forget. I might text my boyfriend: “Oh my god, I had the best round of my life.”

It’s probably the same as you feel when you walk out of a restaurant and you’ve had the best meal of your life. It’s almost like a euphoria — nothing can touch you.

This interview has been edited lightly for length and clarity.

Molly Longman is a freelance journalist who loves to tell stories at the intersection of health and politics.