Shawn Johnson

Shawn Johnson is an American former artistic gymnast. She is famous for securing the 2008 Olympic gold medal in balance beam, along with silver medals in team, all-around, and floor exercise. With victories in the 2007 U.S. Championship on balance beam and floor exercise, as well as the 2008 U.S. Championship on floor exercise and silver medal on balance beam, Johnson is a three-time U.S. all-around Champion, winning once as a junior and twice as a senior. Beyond gymnastics, she emerged as the winner of the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars in 2009 and participated in the 2015 season of Celebrity Apprentice with Donald Trump. She announced her retirement from gymnastics on June 3, 2012. 

Early Life

Shawn Johnson was born on January 19, 1992. She is from Des Moines, Iowa, the USA. Shawn Machel Johnson is her birth name. She is American by nationality and her ethnicity is American-White. About her parents, she is the daughter of her father, Doug, and her mother, Teri Johnson. Her parents enrolled her in a gymnastics class at age 3 after they noticed her climbing cabinets and jumping off tables. Under the guidance of Liang Chow, Johnson became one of his first students at the age of 6 and continued training with him for nearly two decades. Describing Chow as a father figure, Johnson expressed their enduring connection. As of 2023, she celebrated her 31st birthday. 

For her education, she attended Valley High School, where she balanced gymnastics and academics, maintaining a more moderate training schedule than her peers. Johnson left public school in 2009, relocating to Los Angeles with her mother for her appearance on Dancing with the Stars. In 2010, she completed high school through private tutoring and briefly enrolled at Vanderbilt University in 2013 before withdrawing before classes began. 

Career

• Shawn Johnson's gymnastics journey can be traced back to her junior career, where at the age of 12, she competed in the Developmental Program, showcasing her skills at the U.S. Level 10 National Championships. 
• Despite not initially receiving invitations to national team training camps, her coach Liang Chow's bold move to send a video of her performances to Marta Karolyi, the National Team Coordinator, paved the way for her inclusion.
• Transitioning to junior elite, Johnson qualified Junior International Elite on her first attempt, making waves at the 2005 U.S. Classic. 
• In 2006, she claimed the U.S. Junior National All-Around Championship, displaying remarkable skills. 
• Moving on to her senior career in 2007, she continued to shine, winning the all-around at the American Cup and the 2007 Visa U.S. National Championships. 
• The pinnacle of her achievements that year included winning four gold medals and a silver at the Pan-American Games.
• At the 2007 World Championships, Johnson's outstanding performance contributed to the U.S. team's gold, and she secured the all-around gold, becoming the fourth American woman to achieve this feat. 
• The narrative extends to 2008, leading up to the Olympics, with Johnson's victories in the American Cup, Jesolo competition, and U.S. Visa Championships. 
• Her consistent excellence culminated in earning a spot on the 2008 U.S. Olympic gymnastics team alongside Nastia Liukin, following their top placements at the Olympic Trials in Philadelphia.
• At the 2008 Summer Olympics, she played a pivotal role in the United States winning the silver medal in the team competition, contributing to a historic achievement as both she and her teammate Nastia Liukin claimed the gold and silver medals, respectively, in the individual all-around competition. 
• Johnson secured an additional silver medal in floor exercise and a gold medal on the balance beam, becoming the second American to achieve this feat. 
• Despite qualifying as the second reserve for the uneven bars final, she did not compete in that event. 
• Following a skiing accident in January 2010 resulting in a torn left ACL, Johnson underwent reconstructive knee surgery. 
• Undeterred, she announced her comeback to gymnastics in May 2010 with aspirations of making the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. 
• Demonstrating remarkable progress in skill training, Johnson officially rejoined the USA Senior National team in February 2011, expressing her desire to return to competition later that year. 
• Despite being named a non-traveling alternate to the 2011 USA Women's World Championships Team, Johnson made a triumphant return to the international stage in October 2011 as a member of the 2011 Pan American Games Team, winning gold in the team competition and a silver medal for her performance on the uneven bars.
• On June 3, 2012, she ended her comeback for the 2012 Olympic team and retired because of continuing problems with her left knee. 
• In February 2009, Shawn Johnson joined ABC's Dancing with the Stars Season 8, partnering with Mark Ballas. 
• She clinched the championship in the closest finale in the show's history, becoming the youngest champion at that time.
• In 2012, she returned for the all-star edition, partnering with Derek Hough, finishing as the runners-up. 
• Johnson has also made television appearances on shows like The Today Show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. 
• She also participated in the Taco Bell All-Star Legends Celebrity Softball Game, judged the 2010 Miss America pageant, and appeared on the celebrity edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, winning $50,000 for charity. 
• Johnson has showcased her diverse talents, from being a cast member on Celebrity Apprentice to participating in Adventure Capitalists and MTV's The Challenge. 
• She has also made public appearances, leading the Pledge of Allegiance at the 2008 Democratic National Convention and singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at Wrigley Field in 2009. 
• Additionally, Johnson has been part of gymnastic tours and authored books, including "Shawn Johnson: Olympic Champion: Stories Behind the Smile" (2008) and "Winning Balance: What I've Learned So Far about Love, Faith, and Living Your Dreams" (2012). 
• In 2016, she released a young adult novel, "The Flip Side," exploring the challenges of balancing Olympic dreams with a desire for a "normal" teenage life.

Awards and Honors

• Longines Prize for Elegance (2007)
• ESPY for Best US Female Olympian (2009)
• James E. Sullivan Award (2008)
• In 2009, she was one of two female athletes listed on AOL's "100 Most Searched Females on the Internet," ranking 27th.
• Forbes magazine's scientific poll in 2009 crowned Johnson as "America's Most-Liked Sports Figure."
• In 2010, she topped the E-score Celebrity metric for the most appealing athletes and ranked seventh on Harris Interactive's list of "America's Favorite Female Sports Stars."
• ESPN nominated Johnson for the 2009 ESPY Award for "Best Female U.S. Olympian," a title she secured along with winning the "Athlete – Female" Teen Choice Award for the second consecutive year.
• She was honored with the prestigious AAU James E. Sullivan Award on April 15, 2009, becoming the first female gymnast and third gymnast overall (after Kurt Thomas and Paul Hamm) to receive the award, recognizing qualities of leadership, character, sportsmanship, and amateurism.
• In the Associated Press' 2008 Female Athlete of the Year voting, Johnson ranked fifth.
• The 2008 Teen Choice Award for Best Female Athlete was bestowed upon Johnson, marking her as the first gymnast ever nominated for the award.
• A life-sized bronze sculpture of Johnson is displayed at the Iowa Hall of Pride in Des Moines.
• On September 7, 2007, she received the "Longines Prize for Elegance" in Stuttgart, Germany, along with Japan's Hiroyuki Tomita, recognizing athletes who display exceptional elegance in international competitions.
• Following Johnson's World Championship performances in 2007, Governor Chet Culver of Iowa declared October 17 as "Shawn Johnson Day" in the state.
• On August 15, 2013, Johnson, along with her 2007 Worlds team teammates, was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
• In 2019, she achieved induction into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

Personal Life

Shawn Johnson is happily married to her husband, Andrew East, a professional NFL player. Their journey began when they met through Andrew's brother, Guy East, at the 2012 London Games, and Guy, impressed by Shawn, played matchmaker. After an initial meeting in Los Angeles, they had their first official date in Nashville in June 2013. The couple got engaged in July 2015 at Wrigley Field during a Chicago Cubs game and tied the knot in April 2016. 

In October 2017, Shawn revealed a heartbreaking miscarriage. Their family joyfully expanded when they welcomed their daughter, Drew Hazel East, on October 29, 2019. The couple's happiness continued with the birth of their son, Jett James, in July 2021. In December 2023, Shawn and Andrew welcomed their third child, a baby boy named Barrett “Bear” Madison, completing their growing family. 

Net Worth

Shawn Johnson, a retired gymnast, has amassed a net worth of approximately $9 million as of 2023, primarily stemming from her successful gymnastics career and the entertainment industry. She is making an annual salary of over $1 Million at present. Apart from earning recognition for her achievements in the Beijing Olympics, she ventured into advertising, endorsing brands such as CoverGirl, Hy-Vee, Ortega, McDonald’s, Secret deodorant, and Coca-Cola.

Shawn expanded her entrepreneurial pursuits through brand endorsements for renowned companies like Nike, Cheerios, Longines, Sanofi-Aventis, Nestle, Bounty, Crest, Circuit City, InterContinental Hotels Group, and Oroweat. Notably, she secured victory in Season 8 of 'Dancing with the Stars' in 2009, partnering with professional dancer Mark Ballas. Since retiring from gymnastics, Shawn has remained an active entrepreneur and reality star, contributing to her continued success and financial prosperity. She is leading a lavish lifestyle as of now. 

Body Measurements

Shawn Johnson stands at the height of 4 feet 11 inches (150 cm) with a body weight of 45 kg (99 lbs). She has an athletic body type. She has distinctive features including a short and curvaceous body, complemented by her blonde locks and hazel eyes. Her body measurements are reported to be 34-27-32 inches (86-68.5-81 cm), and she typically wears a dress size of 10 in the US or 42 in the EU. Her shoe size is 4 in the US or 34.5 in the EU. In November 2015, she revealed that she had suffered from an eating disorder in 2008 in the lead-up to the 2008 Olympics. She admitted she only used to eat around 700 calories per day.  

Post-retirement from competitive gymnastics, Shawn Johnson struggled initially to find her ideal workout routine but has now settled into a fitness regimen that suits her perfectly. She hits the gym 4 to 5 times a week for 30 minutes to an hour, favoring boot camps and indoor cycling, especially SoulCycle workouts. Shawn incorporates gymnastics-inspired moves like V-Up crunches for core strength and focuses on lower-body workouts with various lunges and squats, including jump squats. 

Engaging in long runs and participating in half marathons, she prioritizes cardiovascular fitness. Her pre-workout includes a protein smoothie, and post-workout meals range from peanut butter and jelly sandwiches to grilled chicken, while her breakfast consists of an egg white omelet, toast with strawberry jam, and green tea.