PHOENIX — One Arizona man is defying gravity — and hopes to defy the odds at the Paris Olympics this summer.
Miguel Rosario, otherwise known as "Gravity," is a breaker. Breaking, commonly referred to as breakdancing, originated in New York in the 1970s. The urban dance style is characterized by acrobatic movements, stylized footwork, and the DJ and master of ceremonies during battles, according to the Olympic website.
While Rosario has eyes set on becoming part of Team USA, he wasn't always a breaker. In fact, he was going for the gold back in 2012 — for gymnastics.
Even though Rosario said his mom wasn't happy with his pivot, after seeing two breakers when he was 16, Rosario said he was hooked.
"She lost her mind because, you know, she dedicated her whole life to me being successful in this and 2012 was supposed to be an Olympic journey of mine," Rosario said. "And I decided not to take it, to start breaking."
In breaking, Rosario still uses his gymnastics, but he has to think quickly on his feet. Breakers don't know the songs that they will be breakdancing to.
"All of a sudden, they'll surprise you and be like, 'we have a guest dj who's doing the finals,'" Rosario said. "Some events will play a live band. Oh my god. And those are the craziest because (of) the amount of, like, improv."
With 100 days until the Olympics, the pressure is on for Rosario.
"I feel like 100%, I'm going whether or not I still have to qualify," Rosario said. "There's nothing stopping me now."
Only two breakdancers will represent Team USA. It’s now down to one spot left.
Rosario still has 2 more Olympic trial competitions — one in Shanghai, the other in Budapest. He needs to earn the most points to place within the top seven in the world.
And the other U.S. contender he’s going up against happens to be one of his closest friends in Texas.
But between the source of strength he feels from his family — including his youngest of five children named Paris — and his passion for teaching kids around the world about the community and culture of breaking, Rosario has a lot of support as he goes for the gold.
"You don't gotta get tackled, and you don't have to play sports, you can go out there and try something different that, you know, may make you feel a lot better," Rosario said. "Nobody's gonna make fun of you for it, because breaking is the coolest thing on the planet."
What does Rosario's mom say now as he aims to "break" boundaries in Paris?
"I'll tell you what she does say now," Rosario said. "You gotta go get them."
Arizona sports
The city of Phoenix is home to five major professional sports league teams; The NFL's Arizona Cardinals, NBA's Phoenix Suns, WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, MLB's Arizona Diamondbacks and NHL's Arizona Coyotes.
The Cardinals have made State Farm Stadium in Glendale their home turf and the Footprint Center in downtown Phoenix is home to both the Suns and the Mercury. The Indoor Football League’s Arizona Rattlers play at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale. The Coyotes play at Mullett Arena on ASU's Tempe campus.
Phoenix also has a soccer team with the USL's Phoenix Rising FC, who play at Phoenix Rising FC Stadium in Phoenix.
The Valley hosts multiple major sporting events on a yearly basis, including college football's Fiesta Bowl and Guaranteed Rate Bowl; the PGA Tour’s highest-attended event, the WM Phoenix Open; NASCAR events each spring and fall, including Championship Weekend in November; and Cactus League Spring Training for 15 Major League Baseball franchises.
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