Shawn Johnson Talked with Us About the Olympics, Her Retirement and Her Future.
Gymnast Shawn Johnson made headlines as a young Olympic champion. Her gold medal accomplishments include being a 2007 all-around World Champion, a 2008 all-around champion and a 2008 Olympic balance team gold medalist. Oh, and Shawn Johnson also won “Dancing with the Stars” in 2009- all before turning 21. Shawn Johnson 2012 is a different story, though, and she stopped in with Womensforum.com in Chicago for a Shawn Johnson interview on the 40th anniversary of Title IX.
Shawn Johnson on Title IX
Title IX was passed in 1972, and gave women equal opportunity in the participation of athletic events. Of course, Shawn Johnson gymnastics wouldn’t be given a chance without the Title IX, so it’s obviously important to her. “I don’t know where I would be if I wasn’t allowed to do gymnastics or be a part of any opportunity like that,” she told Womensforum.
Shawn Johnson’s Story
When it comes to gymnastics, Shawn Johnson is no stranger. She says she started when she was 3-years-old and never really trained to go to the Olympics. As she describes it, “things just kind of fell into place.” It seemed like it was a shock for Johnson, because before she knew it, she was on the Olympic team, training for the Olympics before she was even old enough to drive a car.
Shawn Johnson 2012 Olympics
The Shawn Johnson retirement from Olympics may disappoint some, but she’s still going to the 2012 Olympics and even found a new role there. She’s looking forward to being a cheerleader for her teammates and going to the London Olympics without stressing out this time around, saying that the experience will be interesting.
Why Did Shawn Johnson Retire?
“My body just kind of shut down and said ‘No,’” Shawn Johnson describes. She has sustained a knee injury, tearing her ACL and MCL. This knee held her back and she says she sustained further injury by trying to compensate for the knee. She decided that the best decision was to just step down and let another girl take her spot and have a chance.
Shawn Johnson on the 2012 Olympics
Shawn Johnson said it’s going to be an interesting year in the 2012 Olympic gymnastics, and she couldn’t pick out any specific names to watch out for. “I couldn’t tell you who’s going to be on the team,” she said. “We have so many to choose from and so many that are really good and kind of competing against each other.”
Shawn Johnson Dancing With the Stars
Shawn Johnson took home yet another win when she won the 2009 “Dancing With the Stars” competition. She describes it as the first time she had stepped out of her gymnastics comfort zone, but says it was an amazing experience. “I love every second of it,” she says.
As for the future, Shawn Johnson is looking towards college, and says she’s looking forward to being a normal- “or hopefully somewhat normal”- college student.
