Shawn Johnson

Shawn Johnson is an Olympic gold and three-time silver medalist in women’s gymnastics. Shawn won the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars as the youngest competitor in the show’s history. She was the 2007 all-around World Champion and the 2007 and 2008 US all-around champion. Shawn earned ESPN’s ESPY Award for Best US Female Olympian in 2009; she also won the Teen Choice Female She has appeared on Oprah, Today, Late Show with David Letterman, The Tonight Show, and other programs.

Despite achieving more success and celebrity in her first two decades than most people experience in a lifetime, things haven’t been easy for Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson. You’ve also seen her land on her feet—with her trademark smile—even when things haven’t gone her way. She had a terrifying experience with a stalker and would-be kidnapper. Her modest upbringing in Iowa made elite competition unlikely. Although she won four medals at the Beijing Olympics, she was denied the big prize she’d dreamed of—the all-around gold medal. You’ve seen her perform gravity-defying gymnastics moves. You’ve seen her win Olympic medals in Beijing and the coveted mirror ball trophy on Dancing with the Stars. Her first gymnastics coach told her family she lacked talent. And after suffering a potentially career-ending injury, Shawn ultimately had to rethink what was truly important.