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Shawn Johnson East (born Shawn Machel Johnson; January 19, 1992) is an American former
artistic gymnast Artistic gymnastics is a discipline of gymnastics in which athletes perform short routines on different apparatuses. The sport is governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique (FIG), which designs the Code of Points and regulates ...
. She is the 2008 Olympic balance beam gold medalist and
team A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal. As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interdependent with respect to inf ...
, all-around and floor exercise silver medalist. Johnson is also the 2007 all-around World Champion, and a five-time
Pan American Games The Pan American Games (also known colloquially as the Pan Am Games) is a continental multi-sport event in the Americas featuring summer sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The competition is hel ...
gold medalist, winning the team titles in 2007 and 2011, as well as titles in the all-around, uneven bars, and balance beam in 2007. Johnson became a member of the U.S. senior team in 2007. Her rookie season included winning the all-around at the American Cup, Pan American Games, U.S. National Championships, and World Championships. She is the 2007 individual all-around World Champion, 2007 World Champion on floor exercise, and a member of the 2007 gold medal-winning U.S. gymnastics team. As well as being the 2007 U.S. Champion on balance beam and floor exercise, the 2008 U.S. Champion on floor exercise and silver medalist on balance beam, Johnson is a three-time U.S. all-around Champion, winning once as a junior and twice as a senior. In May 2009, Johnson was the winner of season eight of ''
Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the form ...
'', and in November 2012 she earned second place on the all-star edition. Johnson announced her retirement from gymnastics on June 3, 2012.


Early and personal life

Johnson was born in
Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moine ...
, the daughter of Doug and Teri Johnson. Her parents enrolled her in a gymnastics class at age 3 after they noticed her climbing cabinets and jumping off tables. At age 6, Johnson was one of
Liang Chow Liang Chow (also known as Qiao Liang; ) (born January 1, 1968) is a Chinese-American former artistic gymnast. He is the founder, owner, and head coach of Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines, Iowa. He is notable for being th ...
's first students when he opened a gymnastics school in West Des Moines, and he would go on to coach Johnson for nearly two decades as a competitive gymnast. "Chow is like a father to me, we've been with each other for so long," Johnson said in 2012.Liang Chow’s Gymnastics Coaching Journey: From Beijing to West Des Moines
''TIME''. July 26, 2012.
Johnson attended Valley High School. She was on the honor roll and liked to attend football games and dances. Through 2008, Johnson maintained a more balanced lifestyle than typical of elite female gymnasts. She limited her gymnastics training to 25 hours per week, as opposed to the more typical 40 hours. Johnson left public school in the spring of 2009. She and her mother relocated to
Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...
,
California California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, before appearing on ''
Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the form ...
''. In 2010, she finished high school with a private tutor. She enrolled at
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private research university in Nashville, Tennessee. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and rail magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided the school its initial $1-million ...
in 2013, but withdrew before classes began. Johnson is married to Andrew East, a professional football long snapper who played for the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) ...
in 2018. They were engaged on July 24, 2015, at
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago ...
during a
Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is locate ...
game and were married on April 16, 2016, in
Franklin, Tennessee Franklin is a city in and county seat of Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. About south of Nashville, it is one of the principal cities of the Nashville metropolitan area and Middle Tennessee. As of 2020, its population was 83,454 ...
. They live in
Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and ...
. In November 2015, she revealed that she had suffered from an
eating disorder An eating disorder is a mental disorder defined by abnormal eating behaviors that negatively affect a person's physical or mental health. Only one eating disorder can be diagnosed at a given time. Types of eating disorders include binge eating d ...
in 2008 in the lead-up to the 2008 Olympics. She admitted she only used to eat around 700
calories The calorie is a unit of energy. For historical reasons, two main definitions of "calorie" are in wide use. The large calorie, food calorie, or kilogram calorie was originally defined as the amount of heat needed to raise the temperature of ...
per day. In October 2017, Johnson revealed through a YouTube video that she had been pregnant but suffered a miscarriage. In April 2019, Johnson and her husband announced they were expecting their first child. Their daughter, Drew Hazel East, was born on October 29, 2019. In January 2021, Johnson and her husband announced that they were expecting their second child, a son. Their son, Jett James East, was born on July 19, 2021.


Gymnastics career


Junior career


Pre-elite

When she was 12, Johnson competed in the Junior Olympics (U.S. Level 10) National Championships, finishing fourth in the all-around, first on beam, and second on floor. As a youngster, Johnson was not invited to
USA Gymnastics United States of America Gymnastics (USA Gymnastics or USAG) is the national governing body for gymnastics in the United States. Established in 1963 as the U.S. Gymnastics Federation (USGF), USA Gymnastics is responsible for selecting and train ...
' national team training camps, and her coach,
Liang Chow Liang Chow (also known as Qiao Liang; ) (born January 1, 1968) is a Chinese-American former artistic gymnast. He is the founder, owner, and head coach of Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute in West Des Moines, Iowa. He is notable for being th ...
, had no interactions with the national staff. In 2005, Chow sent the National Team Coordinator, Marta Karolyi, a video of Johnson with the comment "I believe this kid will help the U.S. team." Karolyi felt the action was audacious, commenting, "Wow, this coach is pretty confident", but she soon invited Johnson to national team training camps.


Junior elite

Johnson qualified Junior International Elite on her first attempt. She attracted widespread attention at the 2005 U.S. Classic, where she placed third. At the 2005 U.S. National Championships, Johnson fell from the beam on the first day of competition and finished tenth all-around. In 2006, Johnson added several new skills, including a Jaeger on bars, and two top-difficulty (G) skills, a full-in back-out dismount off beam and a double-twisting double back on floor. She won the 2006 U.S. Junior National All-Around Championship with a score higher than any of her senior elite competitors.


Senior career


2007: pre-Worlds

Johnson became a senior in 2007 and continued to show new skills, including a double-twisting double layout dismount off the uneven bars. She competed at the American Cup, winning the all-around over teammate Natasha Kelley. Johnson also competed in the
2007 Pan American Games The 2007 Pan American Games, officially known as the XV Pan American Games, were a major continental multi-sport event that took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from July 13 to 29, 2007. A total of 5,633 athletes from 42 National Olympic C ...
, winning four gold medals (team, all-around, beam and bars) and a silver on floor. Johnson won the all-around at the 2007 Visa U.S. National Championships, beating Shayla Worley by more than three points.


2007 World Championships

Johnson represented the U.S. at the 2007 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships along with Nastia Liukin, Shayla Worley, Alicia Sacramone,
Ivana Hong Ivana Hong (born December 11, 1992 in Worcester, Massachusetts) is an American former artistic gymnast. She was a member of the gold medal American team at the 2007 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships and the all-around bronze medalist at th ...
, and
Samantha Peszek Samantha Nicole Peszek (born December 14, 1991) is an American former artistic gymnast. She was a member of the U.S. women's gymnastics team at the 2008 Summer Olympics, which won silver. Following her elite gymnastics career, Peszek competed fo ...
. In prelims (qualification), Johnson scored 16.250 on beam, 15.150 on floor, 15.175 on vault, and (with a fall on her dismount) 14.625 on bars. The U.S. finished first in prelims and Johnson qualified to the all-around, beam, and floor finals. Johnson performed all four events in the team finals; the only U.S. athlete to do this. Johnson scored 15.375 on bars and floor, and 15.150 on vault. She fell on the beam on her handspring-handspring-layout series and scored 15.025. The team won gold with 184.400 points, 0.950 ahead of silver-medal China. It was the second U.S. team gold in the World Championships. In the all-around finals, Johnson scored a 15.175 on vault, 15.375 on bars, 15.900 on beam and 15.425 on floor. Her 61.875 total made her the fourth American woman to win the all-around gold medal. During event finals, Johnson first competed on the balance beam, where she fell on her standing full and on her switch side leap, scoring a 14.475 and finishing last. In floor exercise, she went out-of-bounds on her first tumbling pass, but won the gold with a 15.250, just eclipsing teammate Sacramone.


2008: pre-Olympics

Johnson competed again in the
American Cup The American Cup (also known as the American Football Association Cup and the American Federation Cup) was the first major U.S. soccer competition open to teams beyond a single league. It was first held in 1885. In the 1910s, it gradually dec ...
on March 1, 2008, in
Madison Square Garden Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsylv ...
. She fell on her Amanar vault, scoring a 15.175. On the other apparatus, she scored 15.625 on bars, 16.325 on beam, and 15.975 on floor. Although Johnson scored first on the vault, balance beam, and floor, she finished second in the all-around. Nastia Liukin won gold with an uneven bars score nearly a point higher than Johnson. One week later, Johnson represented the U.S. in Jesolo, Italy against Italy, Spain, and Poland, along with Jana Bieger, Olivia Courtney, Chelsea Davis,
Bridget Sloan Bridget Elizabeth Sloan (born June 23, 1992) is an American artistic gymnast. She is the 2009 world champion in the all-around, the 2009 United States national champion, and a silver medalist with the American team at the 2008 Summer Olympics in ...
, and
Samantha Peszek Samantha Nicole Peszek (born December 14, 1991) is an American former artistic gymnast. She was a member of the U.S. women's gymnastics team at the 2008 Summer Olympics, which won silver. Following her elite gymnastics career, Peszek competed fo ...
. The U.S. won the junior and senior all-around team titles. Johnson won the all-around with a 61.7, earning the highest scores on vault (15.2), beam (16.2), and floor (15.0). Johnson finished first on floor, despite falling, on her double-double mount. On June 7, 2008, Johnson won the 2008 U.S. Visa Championships. Johnson scored 127.5, winning the all-around title by one point ahead of Liukin. Johnson also won the floor exercise. Two weeks later, Johnson won the all-around at the
Olympic Trials Olympic or Olympics may refer to Sports Competitions * Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896 ** Summer Olympic Games ** Winter Olympic Games * Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...
in
Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Since ...
,
Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
, again finishing ahead of Liukin. Because of their top placements, Johnson and Liukin were named to the 2008 U.S. Olympic gymnastics team immediately after the Trials. The other four 2008 team members earned their spots after two additional selection camps.


2008 Summer Olympics

At the
2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nat ...
, Johnson competed in all four events during the team competition, in which the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
won the silver medal. Johnson also won the silver medal in the individual all-around competition, receiving a score of 62.725. Johnson's teammate and roommate at the
Olympic Village An Olympic Village is an accommodation center built for the Olympic Games, usually within an Olympic Park or elsewhere in a host city. Olympic Villages are built to house all participating athletes, as well as officials and athletic trainers. Afte ...
, Nastia Liukin, won the gold medal, receiving a score of 63.325. With Liukin taking gold and Johnson silver, this competition was the first time that the United States Women's Gymnastics team took both the gold and silver medals in the individual all-around competition; this competition also marks the fourth time a country won both gold and silver medals in the individual all-around competition. She won the silver medal in floor exercise, with teammate Liukin taking bronze. She won a gold medal on the balance beam apparatus becoming the second American to win gold on balance beam after
Shannon Miller Shannon Lee Miller (born March 10, 1977) is an American former artistic gymnast. She was the 1993 and 1994 world all-around champion, the 1996 Olympic balance beam champion, the 1995 Pan American Games all-around champion, and a member of the g ...
who won in
1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 800, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone o ...
. Like the individual all-around, she and Liukin took the top two medals in this event. She qualified as the second reserve to the uneven bars final, but did not compete.


Comeback

In January 2010, Johnson tore her left ACL while skiing. She had reconstructive knee surgery the following week. In May 2010, Johnson announced her return to gymnastics training with a goal of making the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. In August 2010, Johnson communicated that her knee recovered to allow full training and that she had learned a new difficult skill. In September 2010, Johnson released videos showing the following skills (training status): * Vault ** 2.5 twisting Yurchenko "Amanar" (into pit) ** Double twisting Yurchenko (into pit) * Uneven bars ** double twisting double layout dismount (into pit) ** toe-on full pirouette, connected to Geinger salto * Beam ** back handspring, back handspring, full twisting layout (floor line) ** standing full twisting back salto (floor line) ** back handspring, back handspring, layout (low beam) ** switch leap, layout step-out, back pike ** back tuck * Floor exercise ** full twisting double layout (spotted onto pit mat, also unassisted on tumbletrack) ** double layout (unassisted onto pit mat and on tumbletrack) ** whip, double twisting back layout (tumbletrack) ** double pike ** double layout (unassisted on the spring floor) In November 2010, Johnson entered her first post-Olympics National Team Training Camp. Although, she had expected to return to the "ranch" later in her comeback, based on the demonstrated progress in her video, Marta Karolyi requested that she appear sooner. Johnson mentioned that her reconstructed knee still hindered high training volume. In February 2011, Johnson became an official member of the USA Senior National team once again which allowed her to compete in international competitions. She stated that she wished to return to competition later in 2011. In September 2011 Johnson was named a non-traveling alternate to the 2011 USA Women's World Championships Team. In October 2011 Johnson was named to the 2011 Pan American Games Team. She won a gold medal in the team competition and also a silver medal for her performance on the uneven bars.


Retirement

On June 3, 2012, Johnson ended her comeback for the 2012 Olympic team and retired because of continuing problems with her left knee.


Honors

Johnson was one of two female athletes to appear on AOL's 100 most searched females on the Internet for 2009, ranked 27th. A scientific poll commissioned by ''Forbes'' magazine concluded Johnson was "America's Most-Liked Sports Figure" in 2009. Johnson was also on the top of most appealing athletes on E-score Celebrity metric in 2010, and she was ranked seventh of America's Favorite Female Sports Stars on Harris Interactive in 2010.
ESPN ESPN (originally an initialism for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by ESPN Inc., owned jointly by The Walt Disney Company (80%) and Hearst Communications (20%). The ...
announced Johnson's nomination for the 2009 "Best Female U.S. Olympian" ESPY. Johnson won the ESPY for "Best Female U.S. Olympian" and the "Athlete – Female" Teen Choice Award, the latter for the second consecutive year. On April 15, 2009, Johnson was awarded the prestigious AAU
James E. Sullivan Award The AAU James E. Sullivan Award, presented by the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), is awarded annually in April to "the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States". Representatives from the AAU created the AAU Sullivan Award with the int ...
. The annual award honors the USA athlete who best represents "the qualities of leadership, character, sportsmanship, and the ideals of amateurism." She became the first female gymnast to win this award and the third gymnast after Kurt Thomas and Paul Hamm. Johnson ranked fifth in the
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American non-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association. It produces news reports that are distributed to its members, U.S. new ...
' 2008 Female Athlete of the Year voting. Johnson was the winner of the 2008 Teen Choice Award for Best Female Athlete, although she was not able to accept the honor in person because of Olympic training commitments. She was the first gymnast to be nominated for the award. A life-sized bronze sculpture of Johnson honors the gymnast at the Iowa Hall of Pride in Des Moines. On September 7, 2007, Johnson received the "Longines Prize for Elegance" in Stuttgart, Germany along with Japan's
Hiroyuki Tomita Hiroyuki Tomita (Japanese: 冨田洋之; born November 21, 1980) is a Japanese gymnast. Tomita won three Olympic medals at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics. Personal life Tomita began gymnastics at the age of eight
. The prize is given in recognition of athletes who demonstrate remarkable elegance in the course of an international competition at world level; the decision was unanimous. In addition to the trophy, designed by the Swiss artist Piero Travaglini, recipients also receive a wristwatch from the Longines Evidenza collection and a check for $5,000. Following Johnson's World Championship performances in 2007,
Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...
Chet Culver Chester John Culver (born January 25, 1966) is an American politician who served one term as the 41st governor of Iowa, from 2007 to 2011. A member of the Democratic Party, he had previously served as the 29th secretary of state of Iowa from 199 ...
of
Iowa Iowa () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wiscon ...
proclaimed October 17 "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. She was inducted into the
International Gymnastics Hall of Fame The International Gymnastics Hall of Fame, located in Oklahoma City, USA, is a hall of fame dedicated to honoring the achievements and contributions of the world's greatest competitors, coaches and authorities in artistic gymnastics. The early IGHO ...
in 2019.


In popular culture


''Dancing with the Stars''

In February 2009, Johnson became a celebrity competitor on ABC's ''
Dancing with the Stars ''Dancing with the Stars'' is the name of various international television series based on the format of the British TV series '' Strictly Come Dancing'', which is distributed by BBC Studios, the commercial arm of the BBC. Currently the form ...
'' season eight, partnered with season six winner, professional dancer Mark Ballas. In the finale, the tightest in the show's history, Johnson beat Gilles Marini by less than 1%. She was the youngest champion in the show's history at that time. In April 2009, she appeared in the music video "Do You Love Me" by
Ballas Hough Band The Ballas Hough Band was an American pop rock fronted by Mark Ballas and Derek Hough, both of whom played lead guitar and sang lead vocals. The band's other members were Sam Marder ( bass guitar), Harry Sullivan ( drums) and Emily Grace ( keyboar ...
wearing one of her ''Dancing with the Stars'' costumes. Later, she reunited with one of the show hosts,
Tom Bergeron Thomas Raymond Bergeron (born May 6, 1955) is an American television personality, game show host, comedian and actor, best known for hosting ''Hollywood Squares'' from 1998 to 2004, ''America's Funniest Home Videos'' from 2001 to 2015, and ''Danci ...
, at the 82nd Scripps National Spelling Bee to discuss her victory. On September 24, 2012, Johnson again became a contestant on ''Dancing with the Stars'', on the all-star edition ( season 15). Her partner this time was three-time champion
Derek Hough Derek Bruce Hough (; born May 17, 1985) is an American professional Latin and ballroom dancer, choreographer, actor and singer. From 2007 to 2016, Hough was a professional dancer on the ABC dance competition series ''Dancing with the Stars'', w ...
. The team of Johnson and Hough came in 2nd place to Melissa Rycroft and Tony Dovolani, which aired on November 27, 2012. During the finale, Len Goodman called Johnson "The No-Stress Express", stating that every piece that was thrown at her, she pulled off with little stress, and turned out a clean performance. In week three, judge Bruno Tonioli called Johnson and her partner "The Incredibles" after their performance on stage, stating that it was "the best routine I have seen in 15 seasons in America f Dancing with the Starsand 9 in the UK f Strictly Come Dancing"


''Dancing with the Stars'' performances

In Season eight, Johnson and her partner Mark Ballas were crowned the champions. Johnson returned for the All-Stars Season partnered with three-time champion
Derek Hough Derek Bruce Hough (; born May 17, 1985) is an American professional Latin and ballroom dancer, choreographer, actor and singer. From 2007 to 2016, Hough was a professional dancer on the ABC dance competition series ''Dancing with the Stars'', w ...
. Johnson and Hough finished as the runners-up.


Other television appearances

Johnson has appeared on many
talk shows A talk show (or chat show in British English) is a television programming or radio programming genre structured around the act of spontaneous conversation.Bernard M. Timberg, Robert J. Erler'' (2010Television Talk: A History of the TV Talk Sh ...
: ''
The Today Show ''Today'' (also called ''The Today Show'' or informally, ''NBC News Today'') is an American news and talk morning television show that airs weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on NBC. The program debuted on January 14, 1952. It ...
'' (3 times), ''
CCTV Closed-circuit television (CCTV), also known as video surveillance, is the use of video cameras to transmit a signal to a specific place, on a limited set of monitors. It differs from broadcast television in that the signal is not openly ...
'' (August 20, 2008), ''
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014. The fourth incarnation of the ...
'' (August 24, 2008), the ''
Late Show with David Letterman The ''Late Show with David Letterman'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by David Letterman on CBS, the first iteration of the ''Late Show'' franchise. The show debuted on August 30, 1993, and was produced by Letterman's production ...
'' (August 25, 2008), ''
The Oprah Winfrey Show ''The Oprah Winfrey Show'', often referred to as ''The Oprah Show'' or simply ''Oprah'', is an American daytime syndicated talk show that aired nationally for 25 seasons from September 8, 1986, to May 25, 2011, in Chicago, Illinois. Produced ...
'' (September 8, 2008), ''
The Ellen DeGeneres Show ''The Ellen DeGeneres Show'' (often shortened to ''Ellen'' or ''The Ellen Show'') is an American daytime television variety comedy talk show that was created and hosted by its namesake Ellen DeGeneres. Debuting on September 8, 2003, it was pro ...
'' (4 times), '' Live with Regis and Kelly'' (October 22, 2008), and ''
Jimmy Kimmel Live! ''Jimmy Kimmel Live!'' is an American late-night talk show, created and hosted by Jimmy Kimmel, broadcast on ABC. The nightly hour-long show debuted on January 26, 2003, at Hollywood Masonic Temple in Hollywood, California, as part of ABC's ...
'' (May 20, 2009). In September 2008, she made a cameo appearance on ''
The Secret Life of the American Teenager ''The Secret Life of the American Teenager'' (often shortened to ''Secret Life'') is an American teen drama television series created by Brenda Hampton. It aired on ABC Family from July 1, 2008 to June 3, 2013. The series received mixed to som ...
'' season one episode "Just Say No". She made a second appearance in the series, in the season two episode "Just Say Me", which aired January 25, 2010. Johnson was a celebrity participant in the 2009 Taco Bell All-Star Legends Celebrity Softball Game which aired on ESPN, July 13, 2009. In June 2009, Johnson was featured in a satirical news video by ''
The Onion ''The Onion'' is an American digital media company and newspaper organization that publishes satire, satirical articles on international, national, and local news. The company is based in Chicago but originated as a weekly print publication on ...
'' in which it was reported that she had been euthanized after breaking a leg. On August 13, 2009, she appeared on the celebrity edition of ''
Who Wants to be a Millionaire ''Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?'' (often informally called ''Millionaire'') is an international television game show franchise of British origin, created by David Briggs, Mike Whitehill and Steven Knight. In its format, currently owned and l ...
''. She correctly answered a question about the lyrics to "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer", winning $50,000 for her chosen charity, Blank Children's Hospital. Johnson judged the 2010
Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...
pageant. In September 2013, Johnson was a guest star on the revival of '' Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' Johnson was a cast member for the 2015 season of '' Celebrity Apprentice''. She was the sixth contestant fired from the show. Season 2 of '' Adventure Capitalists'', airing on CNBC in October 2017, featured Johnson as one of four investors looking to invest in aspiring entrepreneur-contestants' outdoor inventions. Johnson competed on the special for the
MTV MTV (Originally an initialism of Music Television) is an American cable channel that launched on August 1, 1981. Based in New York City, it serves as the flagship property of the MTV Entertainment Group, part of Paramount Media Networks, a di ...
reality series '' The Challenge'', titled '' Champs vs. Stars''. The special premiered November 21, 2017. Johnson was sent home in an elimination round by champion Tori Deal in the fourth episode, which aired on December 12, 2017. In 2018 Johnson and her family were featured on ''Family Feud'' where they lost to fellow Olympic gymnast Laurie Hernandez's family. In 2021, Johnson made a second appearance on ''Whose Line is it Anyway?''


Public appearances

Johnson led the
Pledge of Allegiance The Pledge of Allegiance of the United States is a patriotic recited verse that promises allegiance to the flag of the United States and the republic of the United States of America. The first version, with a text different from the one used ...
on August 28, 2008, at the
2008 Democratic National Convention The 2008 Democratic National Convention was a quadrennial presidential nominating convention of the Democratic Party where it adopted its national platform and officially nominated its candidates for president and vice president. The convent ...
. On July 27, 2009, Johnson led the singing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch at
Wrigley Field Wrigley Field is a Major League Baseball (MLB) stadium on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois. It is the home of the Chicago Cubs, one of the city's two MLB franchises. It first opened in 1914 as Weeghman Park for Charles Weeghman's Chicago ...
.


Gymnastic tours

From September to November 2008, Johnson was a marquee member of The Tour of Gymnastics Superstars. Recorded sections of the tour's second show were included in ''Frosted Pink with a Twist'', which is a television special about women's cancers (Johnson has a grandmother who is a cancer survivor). The television special also featured singers
Jesse McCartney Jesse McCartney (born April 9, 1987) is an American actor and singer. He achieved fame in the late 1990s on the daytime drama ''All My Children'' as JR Chandler. He later joined boy band Dream Street, and eventually branched out into a solo m ...
,
Kenny Loggins Kenneth Clark Loggins (born January 7, 1948) is an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. His early songs were recorded with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1970, which led to seven albums recorded as Loggins and Messina from 1972 to 1977. His ...
, and
Grammy Award The Grammy Awards (stylized as GRAMMY), or simply known as the Grammys, are awards presented by the Recording Academy of the United States to recognize "outstanding" achievements in the music industry. They are regarded by many as the most pr ...
singers
Cyndi Lauper Cynthia Ann Stephanie Lauper Thornton (born June 22, 1953) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and activist. Her career has spanned over 40 years. Her album ''She's So Unusual'' (1983) was the first debut album by a female artist to achi ...
and
Carole King Carole King Klein (born Carol Joan Klein; February 9, 1942) is an American singer, songwriter, and musician who has been active since 1958, initially as one of the staff songwriters at 1650 Broadway and later as a solo artist. Regarded as one ...
. Johnson also headlined the Progressive Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular in Rapid City, South Dakota, on December 23, 2008. The show aired nationally on NBC on January 18, 2009.


Books

In December 2008, Johnson unveiled a book, ''Shawn Johnson: Olympic Champion: Stories Behind the Smile'' (), chronicling her life story through personal photographs and quotes. In June 2012, Johnson released another book, ''Winning Balance: What I've Learned So Far about Love, Faith, and Living Your Dreams'', about her experiences as an elite gymnast and post-Olympic life. In June 2016, Johnson released a young adult novel, ''The Flip Side'', about a young gymnast trying to balance her dream of obtaining an Olympic gold medal with her desire to be a "normal" teenager.


Advertisements

Midwest grocery chain Hy-Vee, headquartered in Johnson's hometown of West Des Moines, ran television ads before and during the Olympics featuring Johnson. After the Olympics, Johnson appeared in television ads and online campaigns for Ortega ("Ortega makes my taco pop") and
McDonald's McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...
, as well as print and web advertisements for
CoverGirl CoverGirl is an American cosmetics brand founded in Maryland, United States, by the Noxzema Chemical Company. It was acquired by Procter & Gamble in 1989 and later acquired by Coty, Inc. in 2016. The Noxell Company advertised this cosmetics li ...
and Secret deodorant. Johnson also appeared on food packaging for McDonald's, Coca-Cola, Oscar Mayer Lunchables and Hy-Vee products. Reports by Johnson's agent, Sheryl Shade, that Johnson would grace the Wheaties cereal box, did not come to fruition. Her likeness did appear on a limited edition
Cheerios Cheerios is a brand of cereal manufactured by General Mills in the United States, consisting of pulverized oats in the shape of a solid torus. In some countries, including the United Kingdom, Cheerios is marketed by Cereal Partners under the ...
box in January 2009. In 2011, Johnson signed a sponsorship deal with Nike. Other endorsements include: *
Longines Compagnie des Montres Longines, Francillon S.A., or simply Longines (), is a Swiss luxury watchmaker based in Saint-Imier, Switzerland. Founded by Auguste Agassiz in 1832, the company has been a subsidiary of the Swiss Swatch Group and its predec ...
watches (2007) * Crest toothpaste ( P&G) *
Sanofi-Aventis Sanofi S.A. is a French multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company headquartered in Paris, France. Originally, the corporation was established in 1973 and merged with Synthélabo in 1999 to form Sanofi-Synthélabo. In 2004, Sanofi-Syn ...
pharmaceuticals (2008) *
Oroweat Bimbo Bakeries USA, Inc. () is the American corporate arm of the Mexican multinational bakery product manufacturing company Grupo Bimbo. It is the largest bakery company in the United States. The company, headquartered in Horsham, Pennsylvania ...
baked goods (2008) *
Circuit City Circuit City is an American consumer electronics retail company, which was founded in 1949 by Samuel Wurtzel as the Wards Company, operated stores across the United States, and pioneered the electronics superstore format in the 1970s. After m ...
*
InterContinental Hotels Group InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), marketed as IHG Hotels & Resorts, is a British multinational hospitality company headquartered in Denham, Buckinghamshire, England. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the ...
*
Eukanuba Eukanuba ( ) is the brand name of dog food and cat food, owned and manufactured by Mars, Incorporated worldwide and by Spectrum Brands in European markets; previously handled by Procter & Gamble from 1999 through 2014. The company produces 1 ...
* Nestle *
Bounty Bounty or bounties commonly refers to: * Bounty (reward), an amount of money or other reward offered by an organization for a specific task done with a person or thing Bounty or bounties may also refer to: Geography * Bounty, Saskatchewan, a g ...
paper towels (2012) * Mentionables Lingerie Line (2020)


Other work

Johnson has served as a spokesperson for the pharmaceutical company
Sanofi-Aventis Sanofi S.A. is a French multinational pharmaceutical and healthcare company headquartered in Paris, France. Originally, the corporation was established in 1973 and merged with Synthélabo in 1999 to form Sanofi-Synthélabo. In 2004, Sanofi-Syn ...
, advocating awareness of women's cancers through the "What You Do Matters" campaign. Johnson has also partnered with Crest toothpaste to promote dental health, passing out toothpaste to low-income people.


Charity work

Since becoming a professional athlete, Johnson has been involved with numerous charitable causes. In December 2008, she co-hosted a charity event with fellow Iowa native actor
Ashton Kutcher Christopher Ashton Kutcher (; born February 7, 1978) is an American actor, producer, entrepreneur, and former model. He is the recipient of various accolades, including a People's Choice Award, and nominations for two Young Artist Awards, a ...
to raise money to repair areas of her home state devastated by flooding. She also supports the "Exercise Your Character" program through speaking engagements.


Stalking incident

On March 25, 2009, a stalker was arrested after jumping a fence and sneaking onto the CBS lot. At the time, Johnson was competing in the 8th season of ''Dancing with the Stars''. According to court documents filed in Los Angeles, 34-year-old Robert O'Ryan was arrested while in possession of guns, duct tape, zip ties, and love letters to Johnson, who was 17 at the time. O'Ryan left his home in Florida and traveled to California, believing that Johnson spoke to him through the television via
ESP ESP most commonly refers to: * Extrasensory perception, a paranormal ability ESP may also refer to: Arts, entertainment Music * ESP Guitars, a manufacturer of electric guitars * E.S. Posthumus, an independent music group formed in 2000, ...
, stating that they would be together and have a child. The Johnson family filed a
restraining order A restraining order or protective order, is an order used by a court to protect a person in a situation involving alleged domestic violence, child abuse, assault, harassment, stalking, or sexual assault. Restraining and personal protecti ...
against O'Ryan. He was charged with felony
stalking Stalking is unwanted and/or repeated surveillance by an individual or group toward another person. Stalking behaviors are interrelated to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person or monitoring them. The term ...
,
burglary Burglary, also called breaking and entering and sometimes housebreaking, is the act of entering a building or other areas without permission, with the intention of committing a criminal offence. Usually that offence is theft, robbery or murd ...
, and two misdemeanor counts of carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity, was convicted in 2010 on all counts, and was committed to Patton State Hospital for a maximum of five years.


Competitive history


Skills

The trademarks of Johnson's gymnastics were her power, difficulty and consistency, though she was considered weaker on the uneven bars and lacked great flexibility. She was the first American to complete a 2.5 twisting Yurchenko vault (Amanar). As of 2008, Johnson often competed the following skills on each apparatus (from 2005 to 2008 CoP):


Vault

Amanar, 6.5 difficulty start value for the vault 2.5 Twisting Yurchenko (round-off, backhandspring entry, 2.5 twisting layout).


Uneven Bars

6.4 difficulty start value for the routine Kip cast to handstand (KCH) on high bar with hop grip change + Straddled Jaeger (D); KCH + Clear Hip 1/2 (C) + Giant 1/1 (C) + Gienger (D); KCH + Clear Hip (C) + Toe-on sole circle 1/1 (Hoefnagel) (D) + Overshoot to handstand (D) + Stalder shoot up to high bar (Ray) (C); KCH + giant + 2/1 Double Layout Dismount (Ray) (G).


Balance Beam

7.0 difficulty start value for the routine Free Jump Mount (A); flip flop two-feet (B) + flip flop two-feet (B) + Layout two-feet (E); Front Pike (E); Full Twisting Tuck Back (F); Switch Split Leap (C) + Layout step-out (C) + Back Pike; Switch Leap with 1/4 turn to straddle (Johnson) (C); Split Jump (A) + Pike Jump (A) + Back Tuck (C); Full Turn with leg held at horizontal (C); Sideward Roll Tucked (B); Round-off (B) + Tucked Full-In Dismount (G).


Floor Exercise

6.5 difficulty start value for the routine Double Tuck 2/1 (Silivas) (G); Whip (A) + Back Layout 3/1 (E); Split Leap 1/1 (C); Switch Split Ring Leap (C) + Johnson 1/2 (C); Double turn with leg below horizontal (B); Front Layout 1/1 (C) + Front Layout 3/2 (Layout Rudi) (C); Straddle Jump 3/2 (C); Back Layout 2/1 (C); Full Twisting Double Back (E).


Competition results


See also

*
List of Olympic female gymnasts for the United States Gymnastics events have been staged at the Olympic Games since Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics, 1896, but women's events first appeared in Gymnastics at the 1928 Summer Olympics, 1928. American female gymnasts have participated in every Oly ...


References


External links

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Johnson East, Shawn American female artistic gymnasts Medalists at the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships Gymnasts at the 2007 Pan American Games Gymnasts at the 2008 Summer Olympics Gymnasts at the 2011 Pan American Games Olympic gold medalists for the United States in gymnastics Olympic silver medalists for the United States in gymnastics Sportspeople from Des Moines, Iowa Dancing with the Stars (American TV series) winners World champion gymnasts James E. Sullivan Award recipients Pan American Games silver medalists for the United States Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States Sportspeople from Iowa 1992 births Living people Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics Pan American Games medalists in gymnastics The Challenge (TV series) contestants American Christians U.S. women's national team gymnasts The Apprentice (franchise) contestants Medalists at the 2007 Pan American Games Medalists at the 2011 Pan American Games 21st-century American women