A True Olympian

From the extraordinary Michael Phelps and Usain Bolt (never have I seen two athletes make setting world records seem so easy) to the incredible, almost telepathic teamwork of Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh, to the chance to see games you otherwise never see (team handball, badminton, table tennis) and the pure joy of an unknown athlete winning a medal nobody expected them to win (like the guy from the tiny island nation of Tonga winning a bronze medal in whitewater kayaking), the 2008 Summer Olympics have been full of memorable moments. The one person I will remember most from this Olympics, however, is Shawn Johnson.


Shawn Johnson is, of course, an American gymnast. She is an exceptional athlete, as the 5 medals she won will attest, but I'll remember her because she seems like an even better person.

Upon her arrival in Beijing, Johnson was asked how she felt to be there. Instead of talking about how excited or scared she was, she talked about her coach, who is Chinese.

With a huge smile on her face, she said, "It was really cool to be in the Beijing airport and hear him speak Chinese."

"It means I worked hard enough to get him back to his hometown."

Later, during the team competition, the US would lose an intense, hard fought competition to China due, in part, to two critical mistakes by the US team captain, Alicia Sacramone.

After her routine, Sacramone sat by herself, fighting hard not to cry. Johnson sat with her and took her hand.


"It's okay," said Johnson, "we love you no matter what,"

Sacramone is 20. Johnson is 16, but wise and poised beyond her years.

After the individual all-around competition in which she won a silver medal behind her teammate Nastia Liukin, Johnson would only talk about how proud and happy she was for Liukin. When asked what she would say to all the aspiring gymnasts back in the US, she said:

"Follow your heart."

Words to live by from a person seems to have it figured out.