A journey to GOLD!
Gold Medal win at the Youth Olympics Games Buenos Aires, Argentina 2018
Yo everyone! This is Hieu B4 🇻🇳 here. Many of you might know me from the Breaking gold medal at the international stage. But the journey to get there was something I myself couldn't have imagined.
It all started with just throwing an online audition video out there for fun, and surprisingly, I made it through the global qualifiers along with three other brothers from Vietnam. I was only 17 back then, with no money, and the opportunity almost slipped away. But thankfully, my teacher, UDG Vietnam, and Dancenter all chipped in to organize a fundraising workshop, which gave me enough funds to set foot in Taiwan. It was my first time traveling abroad alone, and I got lost a bunch, but my eagerness to explore and burn with passion was overflowing! In my first international competition, I gave it my all and made it to the top 20, carrying the Vietnamese flag forward all by myself.
The next qualifier in Japan was even more intense. Breaking was still very new in Vietnam at the time, so it was mostly self-funded. The community once again rallied to support me, giving me the chance to battle against some of the world's Breaking monsters like Shigekix and Bumblebee. I went there with the mindset of learning, knowing I was fighting solo. Yet, I managed to pull through, ranking 12th and securing a spot at the Youth Olympics Games Buenos Aires Argentina 2018.
But life isn't always a fairy tale! When the results were announced in Japan, my name was nowhere to be found. I was sad and felt it was unfair because I knew my score deserved my position. Unexpectedly, after returning to Vietnam for a month or two, I received an email informing me of a mistake, and I was still going to Argentina! The emotions were overwhelming; from the depths of despair, the opportunity suddenly reopened. I just silently thought, my mom in heaven must be watching over me.
And then the final journey arrived. Alone in Argentina, competing in a completely new discipline within the Olympic system. I ranked 12th in the solo category; the opponents were too strong. But even more surprisingly, in the mixed gender 2vs2 format, I, the guy with the lowest score, was partnered with Bgirl Ram, the solo gold medalist. We teamed up, battled like never before, and brought home one of the first-ever gold medals in Breaking and Olympic history.
To this day, that moment remains the most incredible thing I believe I'll carry with me for the rest of my life. It was such a beautiful journey, beyond all imagination, and it's a huge motivation and inspiration for me. I DID IT!
