B-Girl Grace “Sunny” Choi was born in Tennessee but her youth was spent in Louisville Kentucky, and where her parents live currently. Choi is a member of the first USA Breaking team in the Olympics.
As a child, Choi began her athletic career as a gymnast but in college found her way into the world of breaking.
“I started breaking in college,” Choi said in a release. “What hooked me was the energy of the dance. There is a rawness that you feel from the movement that you don't see in a sport like gymnastics (which is the world that I came from). The freedom of expression and creativity was what really drew me in and made me want to give it a try. Plus breaking is physically challenging and gave me an excuse to be upside down and defying gravity again which was something I had missed since quitting gymnastics.”
Choi attended college at the University of Pennsylvania earning a Bachelor of Science and Engineering from the prestigious Wharton School of Business and spent time working as the Director of Global Creative Operations in Skincare at Estee Lauder. Choi left Estee Lauder in January of 2023.
At nearly 36 years old, breaking is a challenging sport to participate in, which makes Choi’s participation more exciting to watch.
“The biggest challenge on this journey is learning to be kind and patient with myself,” she said. “For me, I've found it's easier to work at a breakneck pace because that makes me feel most productive, but I've learned that that isn't the healthiest approach to this journey, mentally or physically. So I'm learning that being kind and patient, taking some time for myself along the way, and really learning to enjoy all the moments on the journey itself is really what it's about.”
Taking care of herself is a priority and Choi participates in strength training, yoga, massage and, of course, breaking to keep herself in shape. Choi is proud to represent a diverse group of communities in her Olympic journey.
“I'm so proud to represent my family, friends, and the different communities that I belong to. I'm proud to be a Choi, proud to be Asian-American, and Korean-American, proud to be a woman, and proud to be representing for New York City, the birthplace of hip hop and breaking.”
“There are a million WHYs as to why I'm doing what I do but I think most importantly, I'm doing this for me. This is for the young girl that dreamed of being in the Olympics but didn't pursue the dream because she was scared to fail. For the girl that always chose to do the thing she was "supposed to do" rather than the thing she wanted to do. For the girl who believed she could do anything but grew up and thought that she didn't deserve it and that she was never good enough.”
The breaking competition airs in August.
Here's the Schedule .
Go Sunny!
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