Shawn Johnson East facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Shawn Johnson East
Shawn Johnson in April 2012
Personal information
Nickname(s)	America's Sweetheart
Country represented	United States
Born	(1992-01-19) January 19, 1992 (age 33) Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
Hometown	West Des Moines, Iowa, U.S.
Residence	Nashville, Tennessee, U.S.
Spouse	Andrew East ​ (m. 2016)​
Height	4 ft 11 in (150 cm)
Discipline	Women's artistic gymnastics
Level	Senior International Elite
Years on national team	2004–2008, 2011–2012 (USA)
Club	Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute
Head coach(es)	Liang Chow
Assistant coach(es)	Liwen Zhuang
Music	August's Rhapsody from August Rush
Retired	June 3, 2012
Medal record Women's artistic gymnastics Representing the  United States Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 1 3 0 World Championships 3 0 0 Pan American Games 5 2 0 American Cup 1 1 0 Olympic Games Gold 2008 Beijing Balance beam Silver 2008 Beijing Team Silver 2008 Beijing All-around Silver 2008 Beijing Floor exercise World Championships Gold 2007 Stuttgart Team Gold 2007 Stuttgart All-around Gold 2007 Stuttgart Floor exercise Pan American Games Gold 2007 Rio de Janeiro Team Gold 2007 Rio de Janeiro All-around Gold 2007 Rio de Janeiro Uneven bars Gold 2007 Rio de Janeiro Balance beam Gold 2011 Guadalajara Team Silver 2007 Rio de Janeiro Floor exercise Silver 2011 Guadalajara Uneven Bars American Cup Gold 2007 Jacksonville All-around Silver 2008 New York All-around
Children	3
Awards	Longines Prize for Elegance (2007) ESPY for Best US Female Olympian (2009) James E. Sullivan Award (2008)

Shawn Johnson East (born Shawn Machel Johnson on January 19, 1992) is a famous American former artistic gymnast. She won a gold medal in the balance beam at the 2008 Olympic Games. She also earned silver medals for her team, in the all-around competition, and for her floor exercise.

Shawn was the 2007 all-around World Champion. She also won five gold medals at the Pan American Games. These included team titles in 2007 and 2011, plus individual titles in all-around, uneven bars, and balance beam in 2007.

She joined the U.S. senior team in 2007. In her first year, she won many all-around titles. These included the American Cup, Pan American Games, U.S. National Championships, and World Championships. She was also the 2007 World Champion in floor exercise. Shawn was part of the U.S. team that won gold in 2007.

Shawn won the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars in May 2009. In November 2012, she came in second place in the all-star version of the show.

Shawn Johnson announced she was retiring from gymnastics on June 3, 2012.

About Shawn Johnson's Life

Shawn Johnson was born in Des Moines, Iowa. Her parents, Doug and Teri Johnson, noticed her climbing and jumping when she was three. They enrolled her in a gymnastics class. At age six, Shawn became one of the first students of Liang Chow. He opened a gymnastics school in West Des Moines, Iowa. Chow coached Shawn for almost 20 years. Shawn said Chow was like a father to her.

Shawn went to Valley High School. She was a good student and enjoyed school events. Unlike many elite gymnasts, she trained about 25 hours a week. This was less than the usual 40 hours.

In 2009, Shawn left public school. She moved to Los Angeles, California, with her mom for Dancing with the Stars. She finished high school in 2010 with a private tutor. She briefly enrolled at Vanderbilt University in 2013.

Shawn is married to Andrew East, a professional football player. They got engaged on July 24, 2015, at Wrigley Field. They married on April 16, 2016, in Franklin, Tennessee. They live in Nashville, Tennessee.

In October 2017, Shawn shared that she had been pregnant but experienced a sad loss. In April 2019, Shawn and her husband announced they were expecting their first child. Their daughter, Drew Hazel East, was born on October 29, 2019. In January 2021, they announced they were expecting their second child, a son. Their son, Jett James East, was born on July 19, 2021. In July 2023, they announced they were expecting their third child. Their son, Barrett “Bear” Madison East, was born on December 12, 2023.

In February 2022, Shawn and her husband became part of the ownership group for Angel City FC. This is a team in the National Women's Soccer League.

Shawn Johnson's Gymnastics Journey

Starting as a Junior Gymnast

Early Training and Recognition

When Shawn was 12, she competed in the U.S. Level 10 National Championships. She finished fourth in the all-around. She also placed first on balance beam and second on floor.

At first, Shawn was not invited to the national team training camps. Her coach, Liang Chow, decided to send a video of Shawn to the National Team Coordinator, Marta Karolyi. Chow believed Shawn would be a great help to the U.S. team. Karolyi was impressed and soon invited Shawn to the national team camps.

Junior Elite Competitions

Shawn quickly became a Junior International Elite gymnast. She gained attention at the 2005 U.S. Classic, where she placed third. At the 2005 U.S. National Championships, she finished tenth all-around.

In 2006, Shawn learned new difficult skills. These included a Jaeger on bars and advanced dismounts on beam and floor. She won the 2006 U.S. Junior National All-Around Championship. Her score was even higher than some senior gymnasts.

Becoming a Senior Gymnast

2007: Before the World Championships

Shawn became a senior gymnast in 2007. She continued to show off new, challenging skills. She competed at the American Cup and won the all-around title. Shawn also competed in the 2007 Pan American Games. There, she won four gold medals (team, all-around, beam, and bars) and a silver on floor.

Shawn won the all-around at the 2007 U.S. National Championships. She beat her teammate Shayla Worley by more than three points.

2007 World Championships Success

Shawn represented the U.S. at the 2007 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships. The U.S. team finished first in the qualifying rounds. Shawn made it to the all-around, beam, and floor finals.

In the team finals, Shawn competed on all four events. The U.S. team won the gold medal. This was the second time the U.S. women's team won gold at the World Championships.

In the all-around finals, Shawn performed very well. Her total score of 61.875 made her the fourth American woman to win the all-around gold medal.

During the individual event finals, Shawn competed on balance beam and floor exercise. She won the gold medal on floor exercise.

2008: Leading up to the Olympics

Johnson winning the 2008 US National title

Shawn competed in the American Cup on March 1, 2008. She finished second in the all-around. Her teammate Nastia Liukin won the gold medal.

One week later, Shawn competed for the U.S. in Italy. The U.S. team won both the junior and senior all-around team titles. Shawn won the all-around with a score of 61.7. She had the highest scores on vault, beam, and floor.

On June 7, 2008, Shawn won the 2008 U.S. Visa Championships. She won the all-around title by one point over Nastia Liukin. Shawn also won the floor exercise title.

Two weeks later, Shawn won the all-around at the Olympic Trials. She again finished ahead of Liukin. Because they placed so high, Shawn and Nastia were immediately named to the 2008 U.S. Olympic gymnastics team.

2008 Summer Olympics Achievements

Johnson winning silver at the 2008 Summer Olympics all-around

At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Shawn competed in all four events during the team competition. The U.S. team won the silver medal. Shawn also won the silver medal in the individual all-around competition. Her teammate and roommate, Nastia Liukin, won the gold medal. This was the first time U.S. women won both gold and silver in the individual all-around.

Shawn won the silver medal in floor exercise. Her teammate Liukin took the bronze. Shawn then won a gold medal on the balance beam. She became the second American woman to win gold on balance beam. Like the all-around, she and Liukin won the top two medals in this event.

Her Comeback Journey

In January 2010, Shawn injured her left knee while skiing. She had surgery the next week.

In May 2010, Shawn announced she was returning to gymnastics training. Her goal was to make the 2012 U.S. Olympic team.

By August 2010, her knee had recovered enough for full training. She had also learned a new difficult skill.

In November 2010, Shawn attended her first National Team Training Camp since the Olympics. She became an official member of the USA Senior National team again in February 2011. This allowed her to compete internationally.

In September 2011, Shawn was named an alternate for the 2011 USA Women's World Championships Team. In October 2011, she was named to the 2011 Pan American Games Team. She won a gold medal with the team and a silver medal on the uneven bars.

Retirement from Gymnastics

On June 3, 2012, Shawn Johnson decided to end her comeback. She retired from gymnastics because of ongoing problems with her left knee.

Awards and Recognition

Shawn Johnson was one of the most searched female athletes online in 2009. She was ranked 27th on AOL's list.

A survey by Forbes magazine in 2009 named Shawn "America's Most-Liked Sports Figure."

In 2010, she was also ranked as one of America's Favorite Female Sports Stars.

Shawn Johnson receiving the Robert D. Ray Pillar of Character Award in 2009

ESPN nominated Shawn for the 2009 "Best Female U.S. Olympian" ESPY Award. Shawn won this ESPY. She also won the "Athlete – Female" Teen Choice Award for the second year in a row.

On April 15, 2009, Shawn received the important AAU James E. Sullivan Award. This award honors U.S. athletes who show leadership, good character, and sportsmanship. She was the first female gymnast to win this award.

Shawn was ranked fifth in the Associated Press' 2008 Female Athlete of the Year voting.

She won the 2008 Teen Choice Award for Best Female Athlete. She was the first gymnast ever nominated for this award.

A life-sized bronze statue of Shawn honors her at the Iowa Hall of Pride in Des Moines.

On September 7, 2007, Shawn received the "Longines Prize for Elegance" in Germany. This award recognizes athletes who show great elegance in international competitions. She received a trophy, a watch, and $5,000.

After Shawn's success at the 2007 World Championships, the Governor of Iowa, Chet Culver, declared October 17 "Shawn Johnson Day" in the state.

On August 15, 2013, Shawn and her 2007 Worlds team teammates were inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

She was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2019.

Gymnastics Skills and Results

Shawn's Signature Skills

Shawn Johnson was known for her power, difficulty, and consistency in gymnastics. She was especially strong on vault, beam, and floor. She was the first American to perform a 2.5 twisting Yurchenko vault, also known as an Amanar. Here are some of the skills she often performed:

Vault Skills

• Amanar: This is a very difficult vault. It starts with a round-off and backhandspring onto the springboard, followed by 2.5 twists in a layout position.

Uneven Bars Skills

• Shawn's routines included complex moves like the Straddled Jaeger and the Gienger. She also performed a double-twisting double layout dismount.

Balance Beam Skills

• On the beam, Shawn performed a series of back handsprings leading into a full twisting layout. She also did a standing full twisting back salto. Her dismount was a tucked full-in.

Floor Exercise Skills

• Shawn's floor routines featured powerful tumbling passes. These included a full twisting double layout and a full twisting double back.

Competition Results Table

Year	Event	Team	AA	VT	UB	BB	FX
Junior Competitions
2004	J.O. National Championships		4	4
2005	Top Gym Competition
	Secret U.S. Classic
	U.S. National Championships		10	4	9
2006	USA-Japan-New Zealand Friendly
	Int'l Gymnix					5
	Pacific Alliance Championships
	Pan American Championships
	U.S. Classic
	U.S. National Championships
Senior Competitions
2007	American Cup
	USA-Great Britain Friendly
	Rio de Janeiro Pan American Games
	U.S. National Championships
	Suttgart World Championships					8
2008	American Cup
	Italy-Spain-Poland-USA Friendly
	U.S. National Championships				5
	U.S. Olympic Trials				4
	Beijing Olympic Games
2009	did not compete
2010
2011
	Guadalajara Pan American Games
	U.S. Classic				11	16
	U.S. National Championships				6	4

See also

In Spanish: Shawn Johnson para niños

• List of Olympic female gymnasts for the United States