Champion of Champions: Athlete Voices with Victor Montalvo

"So, going into worlds, I was definitely looking to win. That was my main goal. The past two qualifiers I entered for the Olympics, I ended up winning third. I feel like I learned a lot from those losses, and I made sure that I peaked at worlds."

"At that moment, when I saw that I won, I was just so surprised. It felt like a dream because I was playing this in my head before the event. I'm like, "Man, I can't wait just to get that gold medal and be on the podium and just to see my name, like, Victor, winner."

"So, for me, it's like in and out. There's times that I forget that I'm going to Paris, but then I get that reminded, like, "Oh, Victor, the first ever USA breaker to make it into the Olympics." So, that's when it really settles in. I'm just so happy, man."

"The Bermudez brothers are my dad and my uncle. They're twins. They used to break back in Mexico. They taught me and all of my siblings."

"They came from a hard life. My mom is from Juarez, she was from a tough town. It was really dangerous there. My dad is from Puebla."

"My dad instilled in me was to be the best at what I do. It doesn't matter what I do. If it's a doctor, even a janitor, a cook, or a mathematician, it doesn't matter. He just told me to make sure you're the best at what you do."

"My uncles always told me to be proud of who I am and where I come from. They're always reminding me like, "Hey, you're Mexican. You're an Aztec warrior. Don't forget that." I'm proud of my roots, but I'm also proud of where I was born, USA."

"My cousin got back into it, and that's when he taught me at the age of nine or ten. It was something just so amazing. I just loved the music and the way it made me feel. I'm a super shy kid, so for me it was perfect because you don't need to talk to anyone. You just need the dance floor and yourself. So it was like a really awesome art form slash sport for me."

"What it means to go to the Olympics 2024 in Paris and representing breaking, it means the world because I finally get to show what breaking is all about. I finally get to show what I do and how amazing it is because not a lot of people know that breaking is still alive."

" What makes the culture of breaking so unique is that we are part of hip-hop. We're there since the beginning. We bring a different type of essence. We bring the feeling, the vibe, the having fun, peace, unity, and having fun. That's what we bring. And that's something that I want to bring to the Olympics just to show what it's all about. You know, it's not just about the big moves. It's about the feeling, the culture, the essence of it."

"What I wish people knew about the culture was that, yeah, it's basically peace, unity, and having fun. It's a big party. It's not just about the competition. It's about the people you meet, about the culture, about the friends you gain, you know?"

"It's about the dance. And it's not just breaking. It's like hip-hop. It's graffiti, DJing, breaking, and emceeing. So it's like you put that together and it's a group of people in a room just having fun and partying and living their best life."

"So I've basically have won almost every major competition in the breaking scene. I feel like winning Worlds was the pinnacle of my career. But yeah, I have won almost every major competition."

"An Olympic medal for me would mean everything because I'm the first U.S. breaker in the world to go into the Olympics. I'm also going to be the first USA breaker to win a gold medal for the Olympics."

"I'm going to be in the history books. Also, just to represent the dance, I want the dance to be exposed to a different audience. I want people to really get to know this dance and really dive deep into it because it's an awesome sport/art form that anyone can do."

"Breaking is all about having fun. It's not too much about the competitions. So you've got to remember to have that balance, that discipline, but also enjoy yourself a bit. It's not all about who's the strongest or the fastest. That does help. But it's more about the character originality and respecting the dance and bringing the essence."

"I'm trying to win 100%. That's my last chance. And I'm going to make sure I do my very best. I'm going to head there with the next level Vic style."

"I feel like the pinnacle of my career would be winning the Olympic Gold. That's like my last achievement in my career. I've won almost every competition in the breaking scene and I felt like I reached the plateau. Ever since I found out that breaking is in the Olympics 2024, I'm like, all right, that's my next goal. That's what I need to achieve. After that, I feel like I can retire and just enjoy dancing again. Just be there in the scene, dancing still. I'm never going to stop."

"I hope what the next generation sees at Paris 2024 is the highest level of breaking. The highest level, but also I hope the people at the top show what breaking is all about. Show that it's not just about moves, it's about movement. And also show the essence of what breaking is. That's all I hope for."