Powermoves: athletic, energetic, right side up or
upside down .
Jilou from Berlin is Germany's top breakdancer.
Breakdance, or simply "breaking", as the pros call it now, is
their be-all and end-all.
Hi, my name is Jilou.
My whole life is about breaking and I'm ready for the Olympic Games
2024 in Paris.
Breakdancing is set to be an Olympic discipline for the first
time in the 2024 Paris games.
What's 31-year-old Jilou's plan for landing on the winner's podium?
She practices up to four hours a day.
So is it still fun?
I have the most fun when I'm practicing with my friends, and we
just put on good music and communicate with one another.
So, one goes in, the next one goes in, and it sets up a kind of flow,
and somehow, you end up developing this energy together.
Jilou grew up in an immigrant family in modest circumstances.
Her late father came from Iraq.
She started breakdancing at age 13.
How did her background influence her career?
My parents were both artists and didn't earn much.
For myself, I've always wanted more: to travel and see the world.
When I realized breaking offered me this opportunity, that motivated me
all the more.
It gave me that extra impetus to get even better, so I'd be invited
all over the world.
And it makes me proud to know I've worked for everything I have.
Now, she's the reigning German breakdancing champion.
She's already won two bronze medals in world championship meets.
She takes part in breaking battles all over the world and serves as
a spokeswoman for a major sports brand.
She can live entirely from breakdancing - extremely rare,
especially for a woman.
So how did she get to where she is?
I love what I do.
And I'd do it, even if nobody were watching.
I'd do it, even if I didn't get any money for it.
I draw an extreme amount of energy from it.
Athletes have to follow a strict daily routine to have a chance
at the Olympics.
Jilou's begins with a protein-rich breakfast,
stretching and morning meditation.
What role does mental strength play for her as a competitive athlete?
I'd almost say, mental strength plays the greatest part.
It's a bit like martial arts but with a different opponent.
It's like someone who's bothering you - maybe making some kind of
gestures at you.
Then, there's a huge audience and the jury.
Or, you might get some music you don't really like, and you have to
be just as present mentally and not only know exactly what you're doing
but who you are, so you can go on with real self-confidence.
On her way to the top, she's had to deal with a few crises - like, for
example, a torn ligament in 2022.
When you suffer from an injury like a torn ligament or meniscus or
cruciate ligament - I've also got a slipped disk - when all that
comes at once, you really wonder if you'll ever be able to dance again,
and you start thinking, would I really want a career that could be
over from one day to the next?
I really started to question that.
What tips does Jilou have for beginners?
If you feel like breaking, I've got three tips for you, and this one's
really important: stick with it.
Don't get discouraged!
Breaking isn't easy.
Sometimes, it takes awhile, but then it usually works out.
Secondly, don't listen to other people when they say you don't
look that good.
If you feel it - if you're really into it, do it just do it,
it'll be cool.
AND: have fun!
The one meter 61 centimeters athlete has big ambitions.
What would it mean if she really brought home gold from Paris?
If I win at the Olympic Games, it'll be like a life's
dream coming true.
Then, I think my soul can find a bit of peace, and I can go
through life with a sense of balance and know I made it to the
top and did everything I could, and then, I think I'll be a bit less
stressed.
As Germany's only entry in the competition for one of the 16
coveted B-girl starting spots at the Olympics, she's moving ever
closer to achieving that dream.
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