Whatever Happened To USA Gymnastics Star Shawn Johnson?
In 2008, Shawn Johnson, at only 16, won four medals in the Beijing Olympics, according to USA Gymnastics. Johnson took home gold on the balance beam and silver in the team, all-around, and floor events. The athlete, however, was forced to retire at the age of 20, after a knee injury ended her competition for the 2012 Olympics in London, per Us Weekly. "My body is to the point where I need to rest and retire so I can be healthy for the rest of my life," she said at the time to the Associated Press.
Since leaving elite gymnastics behind, Johnson has continued to be in the public eye, largely as a content creator with spouse Andrew East, a minor pro football player who she married in 2016. East was signed with six different teams, but has thus far has only played three games in the NFL, with the Washington Football Team in 2018 (via Pro Football Reference). Shawn took his last name, and now widely goes by the name Shawn Johnson East.
So what is the former gymnastics star up to these days?
YouTuber, author, dancer
Most notably, Shawn Johnson East has competed and excelled twice on "Dancing with the Stars," winning in season eight with Mark Ballas and placing second in All-Stars season 15 with Derek Hough (via Cosmopolitan). The gymnast also wrote three books, two memoirs, and a young adult novel, according to her website. In 2014 she co-founded a website, The Body Department, devoted to health and athleticism (it now appears to be defunct). According to her website, Johnson East is also involved with philanthropy, serving on the advisory council of the youth development organization Character Counts, as well as on the board of Hope Sports.
Today, Johnson East is the mother of two children, a girl and a boy, and seems to devote herself to the content business she runs with her husband. The pair has a YouTube channel, a podcast, and a following on TikTok. The married couple also have started a coffee business (UniQorn Coffee) and a toy store (Teddy & Bear).