Shawn Johnson is a retired American artistic gymnast who won balance beam gold at the Beijing Olympic Games. Introduced to gymnastics at the age of three, she plunged into gymnastics full-time to become a professional gymnast. Shawn Johnson started competing in national junior events at the age of 12 and was a part of various national and international events as a senior, winning a number of titles. She is a three-time holder of US all-around championship—once as a junior and twice as a senior. By winning gold in the all-around competition in 2007 World Championship in Stuttguart, she became the fourth American woman to claim a World Championship title in the event. Besides, she also bagged the world title in floor exercise. As a 16-year old rising star, she went on to rule the world of gymnastics by striking gold in the balance beam event at the 2008 Summer Olympics, held in Beijing. Further, she also won silver in team, all-around and floor events at the Beijing Olympics. She has been honored with numerous awards for her contribution to gymnastics. She was crowned the winner of ‘Dancing with the Stars’ season eight in 2009 and finished second in its all-star edition in 2012