When Johnson was 12 years old, she competed in the Junior Olympics (U.S. Level 10) National Championships, where she placed fourth in the all-around, first on the beam, and second on the floor.
Despite her talent, she was not initially invited to national team training camps by USA Gymnastics, and her coach Liang Chow had no interactions with the national staff. However, in 2005, Chow sent a video of Johnson to the National Team Coordinator, Marta Karolyi, with the comment “I believe this kid will help the U.S. team.”
Karolyi was impressed by Chow’s confidence and invited Johnson to the national team training camps.
Johnson quickly made an impact, qualifying for Junior International Elite on her first attempt and finishing third at the 2005 U.S. Classic. However, at the 2005 U.S. National Championships, she fell from the beam and finished tenth all-around.
Undeterred, Johnson added new skills to her repertoire in 2006, including a Jaeger on bars, a full-in back-out dismount off beam, and a double-twisting double back on the floor. She won the 2006 U.S. Junior National All-Around Championship with a higher score than any of her senior elite competitors.
How old was Shawn Johnson in Beijing?
Shawn Johnson, 16, took first place in Beijing 2008!
Did Shawn Johnson win Dancing with the Stars?
Johnson won the eighth season of Dancing with the Stars in May 2009, and in the all-star edition in November 2012, she came in second.