Chatting With The World Champ

Shawn Johnson is the it girl of 2008. The World Champion with the brilliant smile and perky ponytail has been declared by sport’s agents one of the most bankable athletes of the Games, and she’s already signed endorsement deals with big-time Olympic sponsors like McDonalds, Adidas and Coca-Cola, just to name a few. All before she’s even qualified for Beijing.

Not that anyone actually doubts that the seemingly unbeatable 16-year-old will make it. In fact, as the media gathers around Team USA’s golden girl in Boston, the questions aren’t so much about IF she’ll win in China, but by how much.

That’s a lot of pressure on her petite shoulders, but through it all Johnson remains calm, confident and cheerful in every meeting with the media. Surrounded by microphones and cameras, she shrugs, tilts her head and starts just about every answer with an “Umm”—pretty much the only giveaway that she is, after all, just a teenager, no matter how talented.

Inside Gymnastics joined the media scrum surrounding Johnson at last month’s National Team media day, as well as in the Agganis Arena yesterday, to bring you the best bits from our most recent chats with the champ …

Q: Is this process of training for an Olympic Games harder than what you expected it what would be, or did you know it would be this intense?

A: I don’t think you ever really know what is going to come your way, but you just kind of prepare yourself as best as you can for everything. I honestly have to say it has been a hard road. It’s an incredibly hard sport, but I’ve loved every minute of it.

I don’t regret anything, or any decision I’ve ever made. I love everything I’ve done.

I think that, since American Cup, since all the training this year, I’ve kind of learned to calm down. I think it’s just something you have to go through. You have to go through the little stage of, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s getting so close.’ But, honestly, I know it’s going to be a roller coaster from now until the Olympics—of emotions, of training, of everything. That kind of comes with the process, but I’m ready for it.

Q: Where does the desire to work this hard come from?

A: A lot of it is self-motivation. I am very self-driven. I see my goals and I’ve always had my dreams. I’ve seen other athletes go through this stuff and accomplish their dreams and it’s just really motivating to me.

Of course, there are days when you ask yourself, ‘Why are you doing it?’ And, ‘Is it worth it?’

My parents have supported me, no matter what, and knowing that it hasn’t been for them has made it almost harder to get here. Just ’cause you could stop at any time, knowing they’ll still support you, as long as you’re happy.

It’s been hard, but this is what I want to do. It’s been my dream, ever since I was little. It’s something that I don’t want to give up.

Q: Do you remember when you first had that Olympic dream?

A: Well, my parents put me in gymnastics just because I had way too much energy around the house. It was just a thing so that I could not be so crazy at home. I was climbing walls and stuff (laughs). I remember that I used to stack my toys on top of each other and then climb on top of the entertainment center. I climbed out of my crib when I was really, really little—just a lot of crazy, energetic stuff.

I remember watching some of the Olympics when I got older, when I actually understood it. But as for what kept me going in gymnastics, it’s because I just loved it.

I don’t know, specifically, when I was little, what kept me going, but I just loved the activity. I loved going to the gym and being able to play on the trampoline and just kind of do crazy stuff. It just always kept my interest.

Q: Do you ever think about what other countries are doing? Like, ‘The Chinese are doing this, so we need to do this,’ to win the Olympic gold medal?

A: We focus on ourselves and on our practice and getting to the next level we can, [on] beating our last performance.

Whether we know it or not, I think it’s just from training with each other, and pushing each other, that we’re becoming unbeatable. We do get so good training [at the Ranch]. It’s really not about conversation; it’s about practice.

I can only control myself. I can only control MY performance, MY actions, and how I train. And that’s really all I focus on. I can’t control what a girl in China is doing or who is working 150 percent, or who is not working at all. If you really think about that kind of stuff, it can really get to you.

You can get to the point where you think too much about other people, instead of focusing on your big goal. To me just focusing on what you have to do is the best thing for me.

Q: Your coach, Liang Chow, is Chinese. Is the prospect of going to the Olympics in Beijing more special for you because of that?

A: I do think about being able to go to Beijing and take Li (Liwen Zhuang) and Chow back there. When they came to this country they were so well known, so I do think about wanting them to be able to go back there and show that they are still successful. That they are the legends that they [were when] they left.

They’ve worked so hard to get me here. I want to show them that I’ve worked hard enough and taken in everything that they’ve taught me. I want to make them proud.

Q: Chow is so soft-spoken and calm. Has he ever yelled at you?

A: I think every coach has yelled at [their gymnast] some time. I mean, every coach is strict; every coach has their ways. Of course, when you’re little, they have to teach you in some way discipline, some way to get the message across, but [he yells] a lot less now.

Q: Do they yell at you in Chinese?

A: Not really. Sometimes they do speak Chinese to each other and you’ll hear (imitates Chinese) and then, ‘Shawn,’ which kind of makes you go, ‘Uh oh.’ (laughs) But mostly it’s just their way of talking to each other without letting everyone else hear.

I know a few things [in Chinese,] but nothing really useful, just really random stuff. I can count to ten. I can say, so-so, like, ‘It was OK.’ And then, ‘One World, One Dream,’ which is the Olympic [motto].

Q: Have you had any discussions about the political situation in Beijing?

A: I’m an athlete. I’m training for the biggest meet of my life. I’m training to go there and compete. And, honestly, the athletic part and the political part shouldn’t mix. The Olympics should be about bringing all of these countries together, sharing a dream and living a dream, and we’ve worked so hard for that.

The Olympics are about bringing everybody together and connecting together. I think the Olympics should be a place of peace and happiness and not about controversy.

Q: Do you and Nastia Liukin ever talk about this supposed “rivalry” you have?

A: We have sometimes. We think it’s kind of funny how people always try to make a big deal and a big controversy over us, because we are really good friends. We read in some magazines and stuff some times that people think we’re enemies, and it’s not true.

We text each other all the time when we’re at home; you know, ‘How you doing?’ and ‘Good luck.’ I don’t know (shrugs), we get along really well. It’s just one of those things people like to make drama out of. If you really look at us, we’re just really great friends and great competitors.

Q: Are you missing out on anything by being a gymnast, instead of just a “normal” 16-year-old?

A: When I was younger I thought that, when it started to get a little more crazy. But, since I’ve been in it, the Elite level, a few years now, I honestly don’t feel like I am missing out on anything, just because I choose to do this.

This is my life, my career, my passion. Even if I do [have] to miss out on anything, I’m being able to experience things that only one-in-a-million others get to do.

I have a unique life and I love it. It’s my choice and I wouldn’t choose anything else but this.

Q: What did you think you were missing out on?

A: Growing up, going through school, you always saw your friends being able to, I don’t know, attend the football games or having sleepovers every night. That’s kind of the stuff you see your best friends doing and you had to miss out on.

But, I don’t know, looking back on it, missing a sleepover so that I could go to Belgium was a lot better (big smile).

It’s one of those give or take things, but I think the things I’ve got to be a part of are so much more exciting than the little things I used to think about.

I have two different worlds. I have my world outside of gymnastics and my gymnastics life. These are my best friends (points to her fellow National Team members), the girls in the gymnastics world, and the girls at my own gym. And then I have my school friends, so I kind of have a mixture.

[My school friends] kind of know my schedule now, and I tell them when I’m going to be gone, so if they do ask me to [do something with them] I am free, it’s just whether I’m energized enough; it’s really just up to how I feel.

Q: You’re the defending National Champ, as well as the best gymnast in the world. Does being the favorite put more or less pressure on you coming into these National Championships?

A: A little of both, actually. I try to put a little pressure on myself just so that I can stay focused and motivated, but I try not to think about the titles, because you don’t want to get over confident. You don’t want to let little things slip.

Q: Is anything less than a repeat National Championship going to be enough for you? Or are you just focused on making the team at this point, since you’ve already got that national title under your belt?

A: Umm, honestly, I don’t think about placement or scores. I come out here strictly to raise the bar for myself. To beat my last performance and do the best I can. I can’t control what scores come up, what places I’m given up. I can control my own performance, my own routines. I just come out here to do what I’ve done in practice.

Q: So, what are your goals for these National Championships?

A: One of my biggest things is my vault, of course. I’ve been working really hard on the [Yurchenko] 2-1/2, and I’m going to do that here.

And, then, I have a new floor routine that I can’t wait to show everybody. (big grin) I’m so excited about it. It will be the first time.

A few weeks after I came back from Italy [in March], we started working on [the new floor routine], and it’s finally ready. The music is from [the movie] August Rush. It’s definitely a different look, I think. It’s not as cutesy, or quite as fun as my last one. But I had my last one for three years, so it’s been a while.

I picked the music myself. It was such an inspiring story; the movie alone was just amazing, how the little kid is a musical prodigy. I saw it right after American Cup, so I picked it right away. It’s out on DVD now, but I saw it at the theater and I heard [the music] and thought, ‘I want it.’ I called [Floor Express’] Barry Nease up, which he has worked with me a lot, and he put it together for me within a day or two, and I had a choreographer in a week: Russell (Warfield), he’s the choreographer for [the University of] Georgia. He’s a lot of fun. He was great.

It definitely is a different routine but I am still able to smile and have fun it, which I love, and I just hope everybody likes it. The music has a lot of [significance] for me.

Q: How do you balance your promotional appearances—it seems like you’ve been everywhere lately—with training as we head into these last three qualifying meets before Beijing?

A: It seems like there’s been a lot, but we’ve managed it pretty well. It’s all been on a Sunday or Saturday, where I don’t have to miss practice. There has been a lot, but we schedule it around my gymnastics, because that does come first right now.

Q: Are those appearances something you enjoy doing?

A: I love it. I love being able to travel and having fun with the other athletes and stuff is definitely a treat. The whole Coca-Cola family has been amazing, but especially the six-pack of athletes which was: LeBron (James), Natalie Coughlin, Steven Lopez, Sanya Richards and Andy Potts. It’s just an amazing group of people and I’ve got to spend a lot of time with them and they’re just like family now.

Q: You’re by far the youngest in that group, all of whom already have Olympic experience. What sort of advice have they given you?

A: They’re all Olympians and they’ve just told me stories about their experiences and their travels and stuff, and it’s just really inspiring. They just tell me to stick with it and have fun because it does really pay off. It’s all worth it.

Q: Is it hard to believe that we’re now less than 70 days away from the start of the Games?

A: (laughs) It’s crazy to think we’re under 70 days! I mean, I don’t (shrugs and throws up her hands laughing) …. That’s just crazy to think you’ve put your whole life into something, you wait your whole life and, even if that is [only] 16 years, it’s just crazy to think it’s right around the corner. You want to know you’ve done enough, which is a really hard thing to think about.

Q: Have you done enough?

A: I think so. (laughs) We’ll see. Right?

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Photos by Lloyd Smith, Grace Chiu (2)