By Diane Pucin, Los Angeles Times

The 20-year-old who won four medals at 2008 Olympics attempts comeback after layoff and knee injury from ski accident, but she knows competition from big group of younger girls will be tough.

Since she won four medals at the 2008 Olympics, including a gold in the balance beam, Shawn Johnson has retired from her sport, written a book, won the mirror ball trophy on “Dancing With the Stars,” torn up her knee while skiing and had reconstructive surgery.

Oh, yeah, and she’s doing gymnastics again.

Johnson, 20, who came to the Beijing Games as defending world all-around champion and Olympic favorite, accepted her silver all-around medal, one rung below American teammate Nastia Liukin, with both a smile and tears.

Now Johnson is willing to accept failure of a more dramatic sort.

“At the end of the day, I don’t know what to expect,” Johnson said by telephone from her home training gym in West Des Moines, Iowa. “There are a lot of girls out there, a lot of younger girls and it’s a lot harder. I have good days and bad days.

“My biggest goal, honestly, is to help the USA win team gold. It’s not about me.”

Johnson said that if her help is just showing her work ethic in practice gyms, that would be OK. (read more)

Gold Medal Gymnast Shawn Johnson and Mom Teri Help Unite “Bring It” Moms Everywhere

Mother/Daughter Duo Partners with Bounty To Celebrate The Mess Behind The Glory, Asking Moms To Share Their Stories At Facebook.Com/Bounty

Procter & Gamble

In collaboration with Bounty, Olympic gold-medal gymnast Shawn Johnson and her mother Teri Johnson are cheering on “Bring It” moms everywhere, who not only accept, but encourage the mess behind the glory. As a mother and daughter duo who knew first-hand how a family’s support and celebration of the messes in life could help Shawn leap to the forefront of the women’s USA Gymnastics team, the Johnson’s and Bounty proudly champion these fearless, uninhibited moms. These are the moms who don’t sweat the moments when spills and messes occur, but instead celebrate the bumps, bruises and spills that can help unlock their child’s full potential and make strides towards their dreams.

Inspired by these women and by the Olympic Games spirit to which mom’s support may lead, Bounty is announcing the “Mess Behind the Glory” Contest. The contest asks moms everywhere to share their “Bring It” stories and photos capturing the playful acrobatic moments in the home that sometimes have messy results.

Bounty will reward ten such moms with their own Ultimate London 2012 Olympic Games viewing party as well as provide their aspiring athletes with a special prize to help ensure they reach their goals. The contest, which kicked off on Tuesday, April 24, asks moms to share 60 – 90 second videos describing their child’s athletic dreams and how they let them “Bring It”! Shawn and Teri Johnson will help select the ten most inspiring stories and, in addition to an Olympic Games viewing party, they will also receive a year’s worth supply of Bounty and a $5K grant to help their children reach their goals in the form of lessons or training equipment. The deadline for entries is Monday, July 2 and the winners will be announced within two weeks of the deadline.

“We were so excited to be on team Bounty and show what it really

[caption id="attachment_3569" align="alignright" width="192" caption="Gold Medal Gymnast Shawn Johnson and Mom Teri Help Unite "Bring It" Moms Everywhere (Photo: Business Wire) (P&G)"][/caption]

means to be a ‘Bring It’ mother-daughter duo,” said Teri Johnson, mother of Olympic gold-medalist and gymnast Shawn Johnson. “In order to best encourage and support my daughter and her dreams, I’ve always given her the green-light to give it her all – even if that means having to tackle a few messes along the way! I am proud to be and support the “Bring It” mom in all of us!” (read more)