234. Olympic Breakdancer, Sunny Choi (PART 1)

"I remember I was sitting in the car one day and I was just like crying my eyes out. And I was like, what is stopping me from doing this?" -Sunny Choi Welcome to "Turmeric & Tequila" with your host, Kristen Olson! In this episode, we dive into an incredible journey with break-dancer Sunny Choi, the first American woman to qualify for the Olympics in breaking. Hear how Sunny transitioned from a high-powered corporate role at Estée Lauder to realizing her dream on the Olympic stage. We'll discuss the challenges she faced, including overcoming perfectionism, managing mental health, and the support she received from her community. Sunny shares insights on personal branding, resilience, and the authenticity of hip-hop culture at global events like the Olympics. Tune in for inspiring stories, valuable strategies, and a celebration of pursuing dreams against all odds. Subscribe on Apple, Google Podcasts, and Spotify to stay connected with our empowering episodes. Let's get started! Time Stamps: 00:00 Sunny Choi: Break dancer, gymnast, Olympian, medalist. 06:54 Constantly busy routine led to burnout cycle. 10:13 Taking 10-second breaks helps manage daily tasks. 13:12 Struggled for months deciding to quit job. 16:32 Media exposure helped transition my parents' acceptance. 21:35 Grateful for growth: embracing self-acceptance journey. 24:00 Life skills and growth culminated at Olympics. 25:45 Biggest, most exciting, authentic event with music. 29:30 Exciting but risky, authentic breaking experience simulated.  34:46 Beginning of Sunny building her personal brand. 35:36 Subscribe to Turmeric and Tequila podcast.  Grace Sun "Sunny" Choi (born November 10, 1988) is an American breakdancer who competed in the inaugural breaking competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics. She previously performed as a youth gymnast and a corporate professional at Estée Lauder before leaving to pursue breaking full-time. Choi participated at the 2022 World Games in the dancesport competition where she won the silver medal in the B-Girls event. In 2023, she won the first gold medal in breakdancing ever given at the Pan American Games. Because of that, she became the first American woman to qualify for Olympic breaking and finished 12th at the 2024 Paris Olympics. @_sunnychoi https://www.sunnychoibreaks.com/ Time Magazine Feature Team USA Bio   Connect with T&T: IG: @TurmericTequila Facebook: @TurmericAndTequila Website: www.TurmericAndTequila.com Host: Kristen Olson IG: @Madonnashero Tik Tok: @Madonnashero Website: www.KOAlliance.com WATCH HERE   MORE LIKE THIS: https://youtu.be/ZCFQSpFoAgI?si=Erg8_2eH8uyEgYZF https://youtu.be/piCU9JboWuY?si=qLdhFKCGdBzuAeuI https://youtu.be/9Vs2JDzJJXk?si=dpjV31GDqTroUKWH