Shawn Machel Johnson is an American professional gymnast. She was born in Des Moines, Iowa on January 19, 1992.
Johnson was 16 years of age when she started her international debut at the 2007 World Championships at Rio de Janeiro. She became an immediate success - winning the Gold Medals in the artistic all-around, floor and the team competition.
Johnson competed in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and won a total four Olympic Medals. She won a Silver Medal for the individual all-around, a Silver Medal for the floor exercise, another Silver as part of the United States team in the artistic team all-around, and a Gold Medal for the balance beam event.
Johnson's charm, youth, and Olympic success catapulted her into superstar status right after the Beijing Olympics. She appeared in numerous television ads and online campaigns for various brand names, including McDonalds's, CoverGirl, Secret (deodorant), Coca-Cola and Hy-Vee. She appeared on many talk shows and made a cameo on 'The Secret Life of the American Teenager' season finale episode.
On February 2009, Johnson appeared as the partner for the professional dancer Mark Ballas, on ABC's 'Dancing with the Stars', season 8. She is the youngest competitor in the history of the show.
