18 Hours With Olympic Breaker Sunny Choi

Breaking will be making its debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and Sunny Choi will be representing Team USA at her first games. The 35-year-old dancer from Queens, New York, was the first woman to qualify for a U.S. Olympic breaking team after she won the Pan American Games in November 2023. Now, she’s ready to claim another gold medal in Paris.

But first, before she competes on Aug. 9, you can catch her on Roblox. Choi, along with Victor Montalvo from the breaking team and 20 other Team USA athletes, have been made into NPCs (non-playable characters) that fans can engage and interact with on the gaming platform. According to her nieces, her partnership with Roblox “is probably more exciting than competing in the Olympics,” she tells Elite Daily.

Ahead of her debut in Paris, the Olympian took Elite Daily along for a day in her life. Below, Choi gives a glimpse of her self-care routine, breakfast (lunch) tacos, and training with her fellow breaker boyfriend.

July 18, 2024

7:15 a.m.: I’m an early riser (not by choice) so I usually roll out of bed with just enough time to get ready and out the door. I always start my day with a little self-care, which is skin care.

I used to work at Estée Lauder before I left to pursue breaking full time, so I still have some products I use daily. I like to start with the Beauty by Earth foaming cleanser. Then, I use the Origins Dr. Andrew Weil mushroom treatment lotion and serum.

I follow that with Re-Nutriv Ultimate Lift Regenerating Youth Eye Creme (it’s so good!). Finally, my splurge product is La Mer — I’ve tried so many different moisturizers, and La Mer just happens to be one of the ones that works best for me. I use the soft creme during the summer and the regular creme for the rest of the year.

7:30 a.m.: Next, my boyfriend and I walk our dog. We leave our phones at home so we can just be present with each other. Morning walks are really important to get some vitamin D and wake up my body. Plus, our dog is the cutest so these walks always bring me joy.

Then, I grab a protein drink to enjoy after my next session because I’m strength training, so I want to fuel up.

8 a.m.: Before I started breaking, I actually competed as a gymnast. I was obsessed with the Olympics growing up, especially the 1996 team. Unfortunately, during my time as a gymnast, I endured a series of knee injuries so I had to quit.

I’ve found these intentional, short pauses help me to gauge how I’m feeling and what I need at that moment before jumping into the next thing on the to-do list.

I have a strength and conditioning coach who helps me with cross-training outside of breaking to work on power and explosiveness. We also do rehab and mobility to take care of some of my old injuries. It’s really important to care for my body every day so I can avoid future injuries, especially ahead of the games.

9:10 a.m.: After my training, I drink a protein drink on the way home to keep me fueled until lunch. When I get home, I snack on some fresh fruit and relax a bit because my body always needs it.

10 a.m.: I like to take a moment to myself to map out the rest of the day, create my to-do list, and also check my schedule to see what I have planned for the week.

This week looks different than most, as I’m flying to Paris for the Olympics. I have to pack, prepare, and take a moment to really soak in how exciting this opportunity is. I’m anxious to get there.

11 a.m.: Time for a micro break. My therapist recommended that I take these moments, around 10-15 seconds, between tasks during the day. I do this to check in with myself to see where my internal battery is at, especially in the lead-up to the Olympics.

Staying in touch with myself and my needs is super important. I’ve found these intentional, short pauses help me to gauge how I’m feeling and what I need at that moment before jumping into the next thing on the to-do list.

1 p.m.: I decide to treat myself to some breakfast tacos — or I guess lunch tacos with egg. I warmed some corn tortillas and started with a base of scrambled eggs before adding smoked salmon that was leftover to a few and warmed vegan chorizo to the others.

Then, I topped them with some pico de gallo that was in the fridge and a delicious homemade cilantro aioli. Whenever I make a batch of this aioli, I try to find any excuse to add it to my meals. The tacos were so yummy, and also such a great source of protein to keep me fueled.

2 p.m.: Afterwards, I take the afternoon to catch up on work — calls with my team, answering emails, doing press interviews. This week, I’ve been meeting with my team about my Roblox avatar. Over the past few months, I’ve been working with the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and NBCUniversal on this really cool, immersive experience called “The Team USA Ultimate Obby.”

My teammate Victor Montalvo and I served as the inspiration for a first-of-its-kind set of Emotes, which is a popular kind of digital “movement” Roblox users can get for their avatars. This one is based on our favorite dance moves.

I am so excited to not only be a debut breaking athlete at the Olympics, but to have the sport represented on such a global platform. It also gives people a chance to learn about breaking (and gives me cool creds from my nieces). Becoming an Olympic athlete and a Roblox avatar in the same year is wild.

5 p.m.: Once I am done with work emails, it’s time to get ready for breaking practice. I start my evening with a little fresh fruit, and make myself some coffee for extra energy. I grab my practice clothes and pack my bag so I’m ready to go.

6 p.m.: Before practice, I make sure my dog gets some movement in too. It’s been a little hot so these walks around the neighborhood are short, but she loves it anyway.

6:30 p.m.: Today, I booked a studio for breaking practice because a lot of community spaces are closed during this time of year. It’s just me and my boyfriend training together.

What makes breaking so unique is that physically, it’s just as challenging as gymnastics and some of the other sports out there but it’s also combined with freestyle and self-expression. We don’t know what music is going to play when we compete so there’s always an element of surprise.

It’s definitely been tough staying motivated lately with all the distractions and pressure, but when I’m in the zone, there’s no better feeling in the world.

10 p.m.: Lately, my days are pretty busy so I eat dinner late. I’d love to eat earlier but it’s challenging to get studio availability and there are time constraints from practice sessions that I have to plan around.

I'm always prioritizing protein for dinner as it's really the only macro that I personally track for my training. For dinner tonight, I’m slicing up some sushi-grade salmon and tuna that I usually have in the freezer from Riviera Seafood Club, and I serve that with some plain white rice, soy sauce with wasabi mixed in, and seaweed.

While I’m prepping the fish, my boyfriend makes us a green smoothie with banana, kale, spinach, passionfruit, mango, green juice, and a touch of raw honey for sweetness.

10:30 p.m.: After dinner, I shower and do my nighttime skin care routine. This usually includes everything from the morning along with some added Sunday Riley face oil on top if I have an interview or just want my skin to look great the next day.

I use the Origins treatment lotion and then Sunday Riley’s A+ High Dose Retinoid Serum before the face oil. Since breaking can be rough on the hands (and really all of my body), my favorite lotion is the Malin + Goetz Vitamin B5 body lotion, which I use everywhere. I usually take any leftover face oil and rub it into my hands as well.

Then, I watch some TV to relax my mind until it’s bedtime. Currently, I’m rewatching The Wire.

12 a.m.: I try to be in bed by midnight at the latest, but to be honest, I’m going to bed at 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. I’ve always been a night owl, but I’ve been trying to sleep earlier. Rest is so important for my training and also my mental health leading up to the opening ceremony. Luckily, I don’t have an early morning tomorrow so I can sleep in. À bientôt, Paris!

This as-told-to has been condensed and edited for clarity.