Shawn Johnson Quotes

Author Image

Shawn Johnson

Profession : Athlete

Birth : January 19, 1992

It's about putting in the hours and going through the paces.

Shawn Johnson

People only see gymnastics on TV and in the Olympics at such an extreme. So it can be intimidating.

Shawn Johnson

A comeback in gymnastics is almost impossible in itself.

Shawn Johnson

It might have been easier to retire, to say my knee couldn't handle it and let that be that. At the same time, the prospect of not being able to compete in gymnastics anymore was heartbreaking.

Shawn Johnson

Stay strong. Stand up. Have a voice.

Shawn Johnson

To have any doubt in your body is the biggest weakness an athlete can have. There are times when I physically can't get myself to go for a skill because I'm thinking, 'My knee hurts really bad.'

Shawn Johnson

After 13 years of hard landings in gymnastics, one ski run had delivered the biggest injury of my career.

Shawn Johnson

I have a lot of expectations and a lot of goals I want to fulfill, but the biggest dream is still to make the Olympic team for London.

Shawn Johnson

With 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 Johnson

I started from zero and went back to the basics in gymnastics.

Shawn Johnson

I had a constant fear, a constant little doubt in my mind: 'OK, I'm getting ready to do my standing back full on beam and I might re-tear my ACL.'

Shawn Johnson

I'm pleased to say my knee feels a lot better. It's still not back to normal, and I don't know if it ever will be, but I'm learning to deal with it instead of expecting it to be like it was before.

Shawn Johnson

I told myself after 2008 that I was done for good. But they say you can't keep a gymnast away from her sport.

Shawn Johnson

I need to learn how to face challenges.

Shawn Johnson

Of course, when you're training your whole life to get to the Olympics, you train for gold.

Shawn Johnson

In some ways the ACL tear was a blessing. I had hesitated to return to elite gymnastics after the 2008 Olympics. I told myself I had already accomplished so much, and the road was just going to get harder if I continued.

Shawn Johnson

I know how much more I need to do to be where I want.

Shawn Johnson

I didn't make it a priority, and as a result my knee didn't heal to the extent it should have.

Shawn Johnson

I've never had a teammate competing with me my whole life.

Shawn Johnson

I live for Pilates reformer class. I go at least three times a week. It's a great way to lengthen your muscles, stretch, and kind of relax your mind.

Shawn Johnson