From the Olympics an interview with Shawn Johnson https://bit.ly/3272kvB

1. From the Olympics: An
Interview with Shawn
Johnson.
Taken and adapted from: https://bit.ly/3272kvB

2. 1. Where are you originally from? Des Moines, Iowa. I was born there and still
live there.
2. How old were you when you first started gymnastics? I started taking
gymnastic classes when I was 3 years old.
3. When did you realize you wanted to pursue athletics at this level? When
I was little, I just did it because I loved it. When I started getting to the higher
levels, I started thinking about making the Elite, so I put in more hours and learned
more skills.
4. How many hours a day do you spend training?Most Elite athletes train
about 45 hours a week, but my parents want me to have a "normal life," so they
limit my training to 25 hours a week. I usually work out 4 hours a day during the
week and 5 to 6 hours on Saturday, with Sundays off. A typical practice consists of
practicing every event for about an hour. A lot of people assume I have private
coaching, but I work out with 13 other girls at the gym!

3. 5. How do you eat to stay at your healthiest? I pay attention to my diet to be a
healthier gymnast, but I'm not obsessive over it.
6. What's your favorite food indulgence? I don't think of them as indulgences but
I do have some favorite foods—chicken and steak kebabs, peaches and cream, and corn
on the cob.
7. What do you like to do when you're not training? I love to horseback ride,
hang out with friends, and my mom and I love to scrapbook.
8. Do you have a good luck charm? I always travel with my blankets—but I don't
believe in good luck charms.
9. Who are your biggest cheerleaders? My mom, dad and—of course—my coach!
10. What is your favorite competitive memory? The 2008 Olympics, of course!