Shawn Johnson

espnW (by Shawn Johnson, special to espnW)

When I was younger, my coach, Liang Chow, made all the decisions. I would go to the gym for practice, do exactly what Chow told me to do, go home, come back and start all over again. If Chow told me to do 50 squat jumps, I did 50 squat jumps. His guidance definitely paid off: Four years ago in Beijing, I won one gold and three silver medals. To say it was a good competition doesn’t even begin to describe it.

But four years ago I wasn’t really training to be an Olympic gymnast. As I advanced through the levels of the sport, I always let things take their own course. It sounds funny, but the 2008 Olympics were something that just kind of happened, and I was lucky they came at a point when I was uninjured and well prepared. As a gymnast, you can’t ask for much more.

The road to this summer’s Olympic trials has been very different and, in many ways, a much bigger challenge. This time the Olympics are the ultimate goal, and the Games are constantly on my mind. I’m not the kid I was four years ago, either — my body and mind are both more mature. There’s also been the torn left ACL I sustained on a ski trip two years ago, which has been a difficult and often frustrating injury. But as the 2012 Olympics approach, this time I’m in the driver’s seat, no longer just along for the ride. And that feels really good.

Since 2008, I’ve become more hands-on about many aspects of my training. Working with Chow now feels more like a collaboration between equals rather than a traditional coach/pupil relationship. Part of it is because of my surgically repaired knee, which requires more attention and care. Earlier this year, when my knee wasn’t as strong as I felt it needed to be, I decided to go to the Michael Johnson Performance Center in McKinney, Texas, for an intensive six-week program custom-designed to strengthen it and prepare my body for the months ahead. Although he supported the program, Chow didn’t push me to do it — the decision was mine alone. (read more)

USA Today; Des Moines Register

First lady Michelle Obama began a four-state trip in Iowa today to celebrate the two-year anniversary of her “Let’s Move” initiative to combat childhood obesity.

Some 14,000 children greeted Obama at the Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines for a huge pep rally featuring sports celebrities such as figure skater Michelle Kwan and Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson.

Since taking office, Obama has made childhood obesity one of her two key initiatives, the other being military family issues.

At today’s event, Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad, a Republican, proclaimed it “Let’s Move Day” and noted the state has set a goal of being the healthiest state in the nation by 2016. A Gallup poll currently ranks it 16th.

“I’m proud that you guys are eating your fruits and vegetables,” Obama said upon greeting the children, most of them in grades 6 to 9. “I’m proud that you guys are walking to school instead of taking the bus.”

She spoke about the events held during the past two years, which included such activities as hula hooping, flag football, dancing and jumping jacks. And she noted that her husband, the president, worked out nearly every morning. Then she led the entire stadium in an “interlude dance.”

Johnson: Small changes pay off

Olympic champion gymnast Shawn Johnson of West Des Moines urged the audience not to fret about the goal of becoming healthier.

“It doesn’t have to be overwhelming,” she said. “It can be as simple as having fruit for a snack or taking your dog for a walk every day after school.” (read more)

espnW.com: Athlete’s Life- Shawn Johnson Rehabbing, Eyeing London

By Shawn Johnson

My coach, Liang Chow, had one rule while I was training for the 2008 Olympics: no skiing. I could do anything I wanted outside the gym, he said, except ski. Naturally, when the Olympics were over and I was able to take a break from high-level gymnastics, I told my parents I wanted to learn to ski.

We celebrated my 18th birthday, in January 2010, with a skiing trip to Colorado. On the final run of our last day, our group stood at the top of the mountain and looked at two different paths: a difficult black diamond trail or an intermediate blue run. My friends decided to ski the black diamond, but I was tired and lacked confidence to make it down the more difficult hill. I chose the intermediate run. Halfway down, I hit a patch of ice and I fell. It wasn’t a bad fall, but the binding holding my left foot to the ski didn’t unfasten. My ski caught in the snow with my left leg still attached while I rolled over my knee. (read more)

Shawn Johnson will be blogging for espnW throughout her training for the 2012 Olympics in London this summer! Check out her first post, espnW.com: Athlete’s Life- Shawn Johnson Rehabbing, Eyeing London. Come back in March for more on her journey! (read more)

For Immediate Release
January 24, 2012

SHAWN JOHNSON TO WRITE MEMOIR WITH TYNDALE HOUSE PUBLISHERS
BOOK BY OLYMPIC GYMNAST, DANCING WITH THE STARS WINNER TO RELEASE JUNE 2012

Carol Stream, IL –Four-time Olympic medalist and Dancing with the Stars winner Shawn Johnson will release a memoir, Winning Balance: What I’ve Learned So Far about Love, Faith, and Living Your Dreams, with Tyndale House Publishers, the Illinois-based publisher announced today. The book, which is scheduled to release June 5, 2012, comes as Johnson is attempting an Olympic comeback after a potentially career-ending ski injury in 2010. The book will provide an intimate look into Johnson’s life, including her remarkably balanced upbringing in Iowa, her quest for gold at the 2008 Olympic Games, her hard work and determination in the face of adversity after the Olympics, her turn on Dancing with the Stars, and what she is learning as she prepares for a possible comeback at the 2012 Olympics in London. The book will feature a comprehensive marketing and publicity campaign. (read more)