I fell in love with gymnastics. I love what I do now. I work with people that I love to be around. Success comes from that.
Shawn JohnsonOf course, when you're training your whole life to get to the Olympics, you train for gold.
Shawn JohnsonWith literature, sometimes a book is presented in the media as being say, a Muslim story or an African story, when essentially it's a universal story which we can all relate to it, no matter what race or social background we come from
Shawn JohnsonIt sounds funny, but the 2008 Olympics were something that just kind of happened, and I was lucky they came at a point when I was uninjured and well prepared. As a gymnast, you can't ask for much more.
Shawn JohnsonI don't think I've ever not gotten nervous. When you work so hard for one special day or routine, you want to perform it better than you ever have. We always say at our gym, If you lose the nerves, you lose the sport.
Shawn JohnsonTo finish off this whole Olympics by finally getting the gold medal, it's the best feeling in the world.
Shawn JohnsonI'm doing four hours of gymnastics training a day, six days a week and then an extra two to three hours in a fitness center as well.
Shawn JohnsonWhen I was younger, my coach, Liang Chow, made all the decisions. I would go to the gym for practice, do exactly what Chow told me to do, go home, come back and start all over again. If Chow told me to do 50 squat jumps, I did 50 squat jumps.
Shawn JohnsonI told myself after 2008 that I was done for good. But they say you can't keep a gymnast away from her sport.
Shawn JohnsonI get less and less sleep these days, so when I have any down time all I want to do is sleep!
Shawn JohnsonImage isn't everything, It's what comes from your heart, and what you learn and what you say and how you act that means more than anything.
Shawn JohnsonMy approach to gymnastics in Beijing was heavily based on the amount of difficulty I could do.
Shawn JohnsonWhen it comes to gymnastics, you can be 30 points ahead going into that competition, but on that day, it's all about luck. It's about who has a good day, who stays healthy, it's how happy the judges are that day, there are so many different factors.
Shawn JohnsonAfter 13 years of hard landings in gymnastics, one ski run had delivered the biggest injury of my career.
Shawn JohnsonPeople only see gymnastics on TV and in the Olympics at such an extreme. So it can be intimidating.
Shawn JohnsonI was always known as that stocky, muscular, powerful, short, athlete. People always wondered if I was on steroids, and it was because I wasn't that long and lean, flexible, artistic gymnast. It didn't affect me too much but it got to the point where I tried to be that long and lean gymnast, and it just wasn't possible.
Shawn JohnsonWere taught at such a young age that you can always be better and that youre never perfect and that youre never good enough.
Shawn JohnsonEverything for me started with my love of the sport. In society we're losing the fun with kids and pushing success on them too hard. Success comes from fun.
Shawn JohnsonI'm trying to stay as calm as possible and focus one day at a time, but when reality sets in, I feel everything: anxiety, excitement, nerves, pressure and joy.
Shawn JohnsonIn 2008 I didn't take it all in enough. I was so wrapped up in just the competition that I missed what was going on around me. If I am given that opportunity again to go to the Olympics and be an athlete I want to take it all in because I feel like this is my last shot and I want to feel the team spirit. I want to really live and breathe the USA.
Shawn JohnsonRetiring was scary and it was tough to give up gymnastics, but so many great opportunities have come from it that I never expected.
Shawn Johnson