Sunny Choi has already made history. In 2023, she won gold in breakdancing at the Pan American Games, the first time that a gold medal in breakdancing was ever awarded. Following that win, the dancer went on to represent Team USA at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, which was the first time the Olympics recognised breaking as a sport. This wasn’t always Choi’s plan. The former Dazed Maxx cover star had a successful career in corporate America prior to her career as a professional athlete. Breaking, which she began in college, was a practice that always existed in the background for Choi, eventually becoming much more than a physical outlet and morphing into a full-blown career of its own.

Today, even those who didn’t take breaking seriously before can no longer argue with its stature as a sport. Case in point, Choi herself will be appearing in a commercial during this Sunday’s Super Bowl, one of the most-viewed sporting events in America each year. The ad is a part of Choi’s new partnership with Oakley Meta glasses, a crossover accessory that combines Oakley’s sunglasses with Meta’s technology. Everyone from football running back Marshawn Lynch to skateboarder and surfer Sky Brown appears in the ad, making the its ensemble cast a diverse representation of the sports world today.

Ahead of her Super Bowl debut, we chatted with Choi about returning to dancing after a post-Olympics hiatus, the new partnership, her non-negotiables as an athlete and how she’s redefining success on her own terms.

First off, congrats on your new Super Bowl ad with Oakley Meta. How did this collaboration come about?

Sunny Choi: To be honest, it was a bit of a surprise. They reached out to me and said, ‘Hey, we want you.’ And I was like, ‘Oh, I'm completely flattered. I love this.’ It's super exciting because I think, on a personal note, with everything that happened with the [Olympic] games and breaking, I was like, ‘Oh no, we're gonna fade.’ Also, I have been wanting a pair of smart glasses for a while. I got into running after the Games, and now I run with my dog. I don’t know how often I’m like, ‘I wish I had something to record without having to hold a phone in my hand,’ because my dog is pulling me in one direction and if I grab the phone, there’s no way I’m gonna survive.

What was it like filming the commercial itself? Can you walk me through the day?

Sunny Choi: It was really such a whirlwind, but in a good way. They had this whole setup; there were a bunch of extras on set, and it was set up to be like a party. So, a tonne of people on a big dance floor, flashing lights. We were dancing in this big circle, and just being around that energy was really cool, because it takes you back to being at an actual dance event, where you have this really high energy, an almost gritty atmosphere, and everyone’s just vibing and having fun together.

Obviously, Super Bowl ads are some of the most highly viewed content of the year. What does it feel like to be a part of something that is going be watched on such a large scale?

Sunny Choi: When I first saw the note come through, I was like, ‘No way. This is insane.’ The Olympics are huge too, but for some people, the Super Bowl is that much bigger. It’s really cool that breaking is being spotlighted, and that we’re not being spotlighted as the backup dancers, but as the talent. I think it’s really exciting that Oakley Meta is giving us a chance to highlight the dance in that way.

Since your Olympic debut, breakdancing as a sport has continued to grow in popularity. How has your life changed since that time?

Sunny Choi: I quit my corporate job in order to pursue this full-time, and I have not gone back. Obviously, everything is completely different now. I am a strength conditioning coach, so I’m in the gym all the time. I took a step back from dance a little bit, just because after the Games and all the highs, everyone kind of talks about that low that comes afterwards. Now I’m training and going back to competing soon, and I’m looking forward to that. My life has literally turned completely upside down, and I am so much happier for it.

What gives you confidence these days? 

Sunny Choi: I think I have a new sense of commitment to myself, and to doing things that fulfil me and that make me happy. If I’m doing it because it’s important to me, I tend to second-guess it a lot less. Everything else doesn’t matter. I think there’s a quiet confidence in knowing these are the things I’m supposed to do, and these are the things that I really enjoy. I think that’s really changed the way that I view basically everything that I do now.

It’s really cool that breaking is being spotlighted, and that we’re not being spotlighted as the backup dancers, but as the talent

What are some of your current self-care rituals as an athlete?

Sunny Choi: I’m all about balance. What that means is, most of the time I eat well and then sometimes I have pizza. Sometimes I don’t go for a run and just go for a walk with my dog, because I’m too exhausted to do my final workout. I think my biggest thing is actually being kinder to myself. For so long, I’ve followed a very rigid path, and I thought there was only one way to do things. Turns out, that’s not the case. I think looking at life a little bit differently and honestly, and showing the same kindness to myself as I would show to others, would’ve made things a little bit easier.

What are three things that you can’t live without?

Sunny Choi: I’m not just saying this because of this partnership, but truthfully, something to record with while I’m at practice. One of the hard things about breaking is you’re moving a lot, and if you’re filming and then somebody else is, it just doesn’t work. Also, it’s really good for being able to see what I’m doing and being able to iterate and improve. [I need] good sneakers, because I’m a dancer, obviously, so that’s really important. Oh, and five or six hair ties. I end up using two to four in my hair, and then I always keep extra on me because I pull my sleeves up on my shirts with the extra ones. That’s why I have an obscene number of hair ties with me at all times at practice.

What music have you been listening to while you train?

Sunny Choi: I’m still listening to the Clipse album that has been out for a little bit. I’m listening to GNX. I have a couple other songs that are in the rotation, but honestly, I haven’t given those up yet for some reason.

How are you defining success in this current era of your life?

Sunny Choi: It’s really about choosing things that feel fulfilling, and that feel aligned, because then there’s meaning imbued into everything. Not in the sense that there’s more pressure, but in the sense that I can move with purpose. How I’m defining success now is not by how much money I make or about fame. Not that it ever was, but I had this perfect little roadmap of what success looked like previously, which is completely turned on its head because there’s no particular goal. It’s about how I feel as I’m moving through it.