Breaking News: World champion B-Girl Ayumi: “Breaking made me who I am today”

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Some might say it’s too late to start competing in your 20s if you want in order to reach the top of the game.

B-Girl Ayumi , however, started breaking at the age of 21 and 14 years later she became the first B-Girl to compete in the Red Bull BC One World Finals, before going on to win the particular 2021 World Championships and claiming bronze at the recent World Games.

“Three weeks after [beginning breaking] I had my initial battle against an elementary school girl. It was a disaster! ” the Japanese athlete said in an exclusive interview with Olympics. com.

Although this first battle did not go well, Fukushima Ayumi – her real name – become more immersed in the sport. And even now, the 39-year-old is madly in love with breaking and excited about its debut in Paris 2024 .

“I learnt a lot and made many friends across the world because of the sport. I am delighted that breaking is receiving this attention [because of the Olympics], ” she said.

A shy Japanese B-Girl talks to a stranger on the particular street in Canada

B-Girl Ayumi, who is from Kyoto, began breaking after being inspired by her sister, B-Girl Narumi . At the time, she was on summer holidays back home, taking a break from her studies in Canada.

“It was hard to overcome the language barrier [in Canada]. I’m naturally shy and didn’t speak English well, which made me extra timid, ” she explained.

Sometimes, she found herself left out of conversations in the English-speaking environment and tried to find a way to break through.

“When I came back to Japan for the summer holiday, I wanted to start something new, plus also wanted to lose some weight after gaining about 10kg in Canada, ” she laughed.

As she also had experience of hip-hop dance from when she was a school girl, she began dancing again, but this time the particular dance she chose was breaking. She had some knowledge of the scene after watching her sibling compete, but doing it was a whole different ball game to watching. Fortunately, the girl fell in love with it straight away.

“Breaking is challenging; even supporting yourself with your hands on the floor is tough for an ordinary lady. But it was enjoyable as I felt like I was evolving every day, ” Ayumi explained.

Three weeks later, the future world champion was on the stage for her first fight. Standing in front of her was an primary school girl. However things didn’t quite go in order to plan. Ayumi found herself forgetting her moves and ended up sitting knees-to-chest middle of the battle.

From these humble beginnings, Ayumi began to grow into the sports activity and was keen to continue practising it when she returned to the girl studies in Canada.

Thousands associated with miles away from Kyoto, the lady had no idea about the local breaking scene plus didn’t know anyone who practised the sport. However, one day she saw a man holding a helmet walking in front of a coffee shop and stopped him in order to ask where she could practise breaking. She dared to begin a conversation with him in English, but as fortune would have it the man was Japanese and took her to a place where people practised.

That moment of courage was the particular beginning of the B-Girl’s outstanding breaking career. Since then she has competed within many competitions, judged from events, and even claimed a world title.

Finding the balance between breaking and daily life

Although she performs across the globe with the highest level, the particular world champion also teaches English and dance in nurseries.

“For some, it’s now possible to make a living from dance, but in our generation it has been commonplace to work while dancing, ” she said.

Ayumi enjoys combining her two passions and says of teaching: “I do that for a living but it’s also good for finding a mental balance.

“I didn’t notice it at the time, but there was a time whenever I felt like We had to do something, plus I was scared to go to a battle, ” she reflected.

“One day, the friend told me I looked like I was afraid of challenges. That was true. I like dancing and enjoy it a great deal. I believe the challenge should be part of the fun. But I actually realised that I had forgotten about the fun part. ”

This realisation may be what enables her to perform at the top level in a sport where it is essential to express yourself.

“Breaking is a dance that is constantly evolving, and that’s what I take pleasure in. But it wouldn’t be my style if I left [the enjoyment] behind, ” she stated.

5 Episodes

Breaking Life

Discover the world of breaking through the eyes of five young dancers practicing this new Olympic sport around the globe. What does it mean in order to be a B-Girl or a B-Boy today? Exactly what challenges do they overcome and what does it take to be an athlete in this emerging art form that is evolving from the streets onto the particular world’s biggest stage.

Paris, france 2024: the ultimate competition

Perhaps because of her mental strength and character, Ayumi hasn’t had many lows in her career. However, two years ago she had been injured with a hernia and took four months to recover.

“I used to end up being able to practice with buddies for as long as five hours or even more, ” she explained, “But after the injury, We took my physical state more seriously and set a limit on how much time I would train. ”

Now Ayumi only focuses upon one event at the time, however Paris 2024 is making her thrilled.

“My biggest challenge is to be in the best condition whenever I have a chance to compete.

“I believe that Paris goes beyond any other competitors. I love breaking, this had a massive impact on my life and made me who I am today. I still love it even after all these years, ” said the formerly shy B-Girl, speaking with the confidence that breaking has instilled in her.