When asked if she is the best female breakdancer in Australia, the 37-year-old Sydney university lecturer responded, "I think my record speaks to that." Despite losing all three of her match-ups in Paris and becoming the subject of worldwide parodies, including one by US late-night host Jimmy Fallon, Gunn defended her qualification for the Games. 

Critics at home labeled her a national embarrassment, and an online petition even called for a public apology, though it has since been removed. Gunn admitted she didn’t expect to perform well at the Olympics, acknowledging, "As soon as I qualified, I was like, oh my gosh, what have I done? Because I knew that I was going to get beaten, and I knew that people were not going to understand my style and what I was going to do."

She was unprepared for the viral response her performance generated, calling it "really sad" to hear the negative reactions. "And I am very sorry for the backlash that the community has experienced, but I can't control how people react," she added.

The media frenzy in Paris also took a toll on her. "But that really did put me in a state of panic," Gunn revealed. She had previously spoken out against the "pretty devastating" hatred that followed her Olympic appearance. 

In an August video message, she stated, "I went out there and I had fun. I did take it very seriously. I worked my butt off preparing for the Olympics and I gave my all." Despite the widespread criticism, Gunn received support from fellow Australian Olympians and even Australia's prime minister.