Shawn Johnson East (born Shawn Machel Johnson; January 19, 1992) is an American former artistic gymnast. She is the 2008 Olympic balance beam gold medalist and team, all-around and floor exercise silver medalist. Johnson is also the 2007 all-around World Champion, and a five-time Pan American Games 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.
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 who won in 1996. 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.
As a youngster, Johnson was not invited to USA Gymnastics' national team training camps, and her coach, Liang Chow, 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.
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.
Following Johnson's World Championship performances in 2007, Governor Chet Culver of Iowa proclaimed October 17 "Shawn Johnson Day" in the state.
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. Johnson is also 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.
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, winning four gold medals (team, all-around, beam and bars) and a silver on floor.
On September 7, 2007, Johnson received the "Longines Prize for Elegance" in Stuttgart, Germany along with Japan's Hiroyuki Tomita. 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.
In November 2015, she revealed that she had suffered from an eating disorder in 2008 in the lead-up to the 2008 Olympics. She admitted she only used to eat around 700 calories per day.
Johnson competed again in the American Cup on March 1, 2008, in Madison Square Garden. 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.
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.
Johnson has appeared on many talk shows: The Today Show (3 times), CCTV (August 20, 2008), The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (August 24, 2008), the Late Show with David Letterman (August 25, 2008), The Oprah Winfrey Show (September 8, 2008), The Ellen DeGeneres Show (4 times), Live with Regis and Kelly (October 22, 2008), and Jimmy Kimmel Live! (May 20, 2009).
Johnson led the Pledge of Allegiance on August 28, 2008, at the 2008 Democratic National Convention.
In September 2008, she made a cameo appearance on The Secret Life of the American Teenager 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.
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, Kenny Loggins, and Grammy Award singers Cyndi Lauper and Carole King. 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.
In December 2008, Johnson unveiled a book, Shawn Johnson: Olympic Champion: Stories Behind the Smile (.mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit;word-wrap:break-word}.mw-parser-output .citation q{quotes:"\"""\"""'""'"}.mw-parser-output .citation:target{background-color:rgba(0,127,255,0.133)}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-free.id-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/65/Lock-green.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-free a{background-size:contain}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited.id-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration.id-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-limited a,body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-registration a{background-size:contain}.mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription.id-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg")right 0.1em center/9px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .id-lock-subscription a{background-size:contain}.mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Wikisource-logo.svg")right 0.1em center/12px no-repeat}body:not(.skin-timeless):not(.skin-minerva) .mw-parser-output .cs1-ws-icon a{background-size:contain}.mw-parser-output .cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:none;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{color:#d33}.mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{display:none;color:#2C882D;margin-left:0.3em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right{padding-right:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .citation .mw-selflink{font-weight:inherit}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911F}html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error,html.skin-theme-clientpref-night .mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{color:#f8a397}@media(prefers-color-scheme:dark){html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error,html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{color:#f8a397}html.skin-theme-clientpref-os .mw-parser-output .cs1-maint{color:#18911F}}ISBN 978-1-934417-01-0), chronicling her life story through personal photographs and quotes.
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 to raise money to repair areas of her home state devastated by flooding. She also supports the "Exercise Your Character" program through speaking engagements.
A scientific poll commissioned by Forbes magazine concluded Johnson was "America's Most-Liked Sports Figure" in 2009.
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, as well as print and web advertisements for CoverGirl 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 box in January 2009. In 2011, Johnson signed a sponsorship deal with Nike. Other endorsements include:
In February 2009, Johnson became a celebrity competitor on ABC's Dancing with the Stars 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.
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, stating that they would be together and have a child. The Johnson family filed a restraining order against O'Ryan. He was charged with felony stalking, burglary, 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.
In April 2009, she appeared in the music video "Do You Love Me" by Ballas Hough Band wearing one of her Dancing with the Stars costumes. Later, she reunited with one of the show hosts, Tom Bergeron, at the 82nd Scripps National Spelling Bee to discuss her victory.
On April 15, 2009, Johnson was awarded the prestigious AAU James E. Sullivan Award. 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.
In May 2009, Johnson was the winner of season eight of Dancing with the Stars, and in November 2012 she earned second place on the all-star edition.
In June 2009, Johnson was featured in a satirical news video by The Onion in which it was reported that she had been euthanized after breaking a leg.
Johnson was a celebrity participant in the 2009 Taco Bell All-Star Legends Celebrity Softball Game which aired on ESPN, July 13, 2009.
On July 27, 2009, Johnson led the singing of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh-inning stretch at Wrigley Field.
On August 13, 2009, she appeared on the celebrity edition of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire. 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 left public school in the spring of 2009. She and her mother relocated to Los Angeles, California, before appearing on Dancing with the Stars. In 2010, she finished high school with a private tutor. She enrolled at Vanderbilt University in 2013, but withdrew before classes began.
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.
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):
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.
Johnson was born in Des Moines, Iowa, 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'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.
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.
Johnson announced her retirement from gymnastics on June 3, 2012.
On June 3, 2012, Johnson ended her comeback for the 2012 Olympic team and retired because of continuing problems with her left knee.
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. 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 [of Dancing with the Stars] and 9 in the UK [of Strictly Come Dancing]."
On August 15, 2013, Johnson, along with her 2007 Worlds team teammates, was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
In September 2013, Johnson was a guest star on the revival of Whose Line Is It Anyway?
Johnson is married to Andrew East, a professional football long snapper who played for the Washington Commanders in 2018. They were engaged on July 24, 2015, at Wrigley Field during a Chicago Cubs game and were married on April 16, 2016, in Franklin, Tennessee. They live in Nashville, Tennessee.
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.
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. In July 2023, Johnson and her husband announced on their YouTube channel that they are expecting their third child. Their son Barrett “Bear” Madison East was born December 12, 2023.
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 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.
She was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2019.
In 2021, Johnson made a second appearance on Whose Line is it Anyway?
In February 2022, Johnson and her husband joined the ownership group of Angel City FC of the National Women's Soccer League.