Shawn Johnson: She's Flippin' Sweet!
Most 16-year-old girls across the country embrace the opportunity to finally be able to drive to the mall. Many don’t worry about a whole lot more than finding the perfect Homecoming dress and attending every home football game of the season. What makes famed gymnast Shawn Johnson different than your typical 16-year-old American girl? According to her classmates and friends in West Des Moines, Iowa, not much.
Although Johnson won 1st All Around in the 2006 and 2007 VISA Championships, 1st All Around in the 2007 US vs. Great Britain International Competition, 1st All Around in the 2007 Tyson American Cup, 1st All Around in the 2007 Pan American Championships, 1st All Around in the 2007 World Championships, 1st place in the 2008 Olympic Trials and All Around silver at the 2008 Olympics (we know the list is extensive, but let’s give props where they’re due), Johnson is “a normal ordinary girl that dedicated her time to her dream,” said Jonathan Krupko, a friend of Johnson and a fellow classmate at Valley High School.
Johnson, whose parents originally enrolled her in gymnastics because of her rambunctious personality, works hard but gets no special attention from coaches. According to the Q&A portion of Johnson’s official Web site, shawnjohnson.net, “A lot of people assume I have private coaching, but I work out with 13 other girls at the gym.” Johnson usually works out four hours a day, five to six hours on Saturday resting on Sundays.
Prior to the 2008 Olympics, Johnson attended Valley High School in West Des Moines and set up her practice schedule to attend all of her academic classes in the morning. The Johnson family seeks to keep Shawn’s life as normal as possible, always putting school ahead of gymnastics. “She had no breaks and no study halls so she could go straight to practice after her classes,” said Dr. Vicky Poole, principal of Valley High School, adding that Johnson attends dances and other school functions. (Johnson is not currently enrolled, but Poole expects her to graduate on time). Lexie Oman, a friend and classmate of Johnson, points out that Johnson is a 4.0 student.
Johnson is currently competing in the post-Olympic tour. In a blog posted on her Web site Sept. 18, Johnson writes, “I have been rehearsing, learning show routines, choreography, and traveling every single day! I really have only been home for 2 days since Beijing, but still am having a great time.”
“She is a very fun girl and always has a smile on her face, but does come off as shy,” Oman said. Johnson and her friends “just hang out. Like any girl, she likes going to the mall and watching movie,” Oman added. Johnson spends a lot of time with her dogs and her family, and enjoys swimming and 
dancing.
Krupko describes Johnson as a “passionate and lovable” person who “absolutely loves pancakes and sushi.” And Poole can’t seem to say enough good things about Johnson either. “What you see on television is what Shawn is like,” Poole said. “She is genuine, upbeat and of the highest integrity and character. She is just delightful. There is nothing fake about her.”
Having already accomplished so much at a young age, one may wonder what Johnson will do next. According to Krupko, Johnson is “interested in going into medical school, but [she’s] not sure where.”
“A personal guess,” Poole said, “I can’t see her walking away from [gymnastics]. I don’t know if she will be a coach or what, but I can’t see her giving it up.”
“Shawn said she absolutely loved the Olympics and that she hopes to participate again in 2012,” Krupko said.
Until then, Johnson will enjoy being surprised by her fame blogging, “I actually saw this guy who had painted all over his stomach ‘I LOVE SHAWN JOHNSON!’ It was so funny but I was really honored… never thought that would happen to me.”