Winning Balance: What I've Learned So Far about Love, Faith, and Living Your Dreams by Shawn Johnson

Apr 04, 2013 Emily rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography

I found this book easy to read and very enjoyable. It was great to get a glimpse into the life and mentality of a young gymnast. I remember watching and cheering for her in the Olympics - she was my favorite gymnast that year. She was very honest and open about her doubts, fears, and disappointments - both before and after the Olympics - which made you feel like you were sitting at a coffee shop talking with her. I was surprised by how much of the book was about her life after the Olympics. It w...more

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Apr 07, 2013 hamptonenglish10 rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction-emmett

Lauren Hanna
Ms. Emmett
Academic English 10
5 April, 2013

Winning Balance is an autobiography of Shawn Johnson who is an all American girl that just happens to be an Olympic gold medalist gymnast. Shawn grew up in Des Moines, Iowa who wanted to be a normal girl, but her first love was gymnastics. Throughout her life she balanced gymnastics, a social life, and school until she was fifteen. Then her life started to change; she became recognized for her incredible gymnastics abilities. Despite her man...more

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Apr 06, 2013 Sinead O rated it 5 of 5 stars

Reading “Winning Balance” by Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson was very inspirational. This book is not her autobiography but it is more like a journal full of her experiences and life lessons that she has learned. She explains her struggles, hardships, and victories that she has gone through. She first explains what life was like growing up in the small town of Des Moines, Iowa living with her parents and several pets. Then she talks about how her gymnastics career started and how she was so...more Reading “Winning Balance” by Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson was very inspirational. This book is not her autobiography but it is more like a journal full of her experiences and life lessons that she has learned. She explains her struggles, hardships, and victories that she has gone through. She first explains what life was like growing up in the small town of Des Moines, Iowa living with her parents and several pets. Then she talks about how her gymnastics career started and how she was soon the golden girl for the 2008 USA Olympic team. Although gymnastics can appear to look every easy on TV Shawn describes how much time, effort, and commitment it takes to be an Olympian. It was not very easy to get there but with the help of her supportive parents, coaches, and friends she was able to have a balanced life. Unlike most Olympic gymnast Shawn did not train 40 hours a week; she only trained 25 hours a week. Throughout this book you will understand how Shawn was able to balance school, gymnastics, family, and a social life and still win a gold medal. Shawn also talks about her life after the Olympics and what it is like to be in the spot light of the social media. Even though it may seem like Shawn’s whole life is all about gymnastics you will soon learn that there is more to her than just wearing leotards and she is a great person outside the gymnastics world as well.

While reading “Winning Balance” you will fall in love with Shawn! She is a great role model and a well rounded person. When I was younger I always wanted to know what it would be like to be an Olympic gymnast and by reading this book I feel like Shawn has taken me through the whole experience. Shawn is a great girl to look up to. She was able to set goals in her life and achieve them to her fullest ability. Even though she had some days where she became over whelmed with her heavy work load, she never gave up on what she wanted to achieve. “You fear the loss and pain of defeat, but you still are able to stand on two feet” (page 83). This line is from a poem called “Champion” that Shawn wrote one night when she couldn’t fall asleep while she was away at training camp in Texas. Throughout the book Shawn shows you several poems that she has written. You can tell that she wanted to succeed in her gymnastics career and even in her everyday life. I was able to relate to this because I feel the same way about my life. I hope that I can become a better gymnast and also become a successful person like Shawn. Shawn’s whole life isn’t just about gymnastics. She always values her family and friends. Even though she has become a famous face around the world, she hasn’t let it get to her head and she never forgot what really matters in life. I strongly admire that about Shawn. “Don’t forget where you came from. Appreciate the people who’ve helped make you who you are” (page 146). This was a lesson that Shawn learned while growing up. This shows that she really appreciates all of the people that have made her the wonderful person that she is today. I think Shawn is a wonderful person

All in all, I loved reading “Winning Balance” by Shawn Johnson. As I was reading this book I was able to relate to some of Shawn’s lessons that she had experienced. If I were her I would be very proud of her accomplishments and blessed to have had the support that she did. It inspires me that Shawn was able to train less than the average Olympic gymnast and still be able to succeed as well as she did. My favorite story that Shawn explained was when she first went to the famous Karolyi training camp in Texas. Attending this camp was a life changing moment for Shawn and I was so happy to learn what it was like. I would recommend this book to a gymnast or anybody who is interested to learn about the behind the scenes of an Olympian. Even if you do not know a thing about gymnastics you will still love this book. Although this book talks a lot about gymnastics, even if you are not a gymnast you will still be able to relate to all of the lessons that Shawn writes. I think that anyone who reads this book will not be able to put it down!
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Mar 12, 2013 Natalie rated it 5 of 5 stars

I had recently come across a really good book that I’ve enjoyed. Winning Balance; by Shawn Johnson. She’s a new author who wanted to let the world know about her and her experiences as a child to an adult now. Shawn Johnson has always been a role model to me with her gymnastics. When I saw that she created an autobiography type of book, I just knew that I had to read it. I really enjoyed the book not just because she was my role model and I wanted to read it, but also because I can relate to the...more I had recently come across a really good book that I’ve enjoyed. Winning Balance; by Shawn Johnson. She’s a new author who wanted to let the world know about her and her experiences as a child to an adult now. Shawn Johnson has always been a role model to me with her gymnastics. When I saw that she created an autobiography type of book, I just knew that I had to read it. I really enjoyed the book not just because she was my role model and I wanted to read it, but also because I can relate to the things described in the book in many ways. I think this book is very well put together and if you’re interested in Shawn Johnson in any way then definitely read this book.

This book is a very good autobiography. It explains so much about her that it pulls you into the book and that you want to keep reading it. AT the beginning, you would imagine it starting out with the beginning of her life. She goes further than that based on what her parents explain to her. It all leads up to her incident to when she hurt her knee very badly. She tried so hard to make a comeback in the sport she loved to do. In the end, it was too much for her and it was too much pressure on the injury she had, so she stopped and started doing other things that had less pressure on the impact of the injury.

Although this may seem as a very good book to me, it might not to someone else. Since she was in gymnastics and I have been, I really liked the book because it related to my sport and how she started. I started the sport in the same way. Everything that happens in the book, I can very well relate to it. If you don’t know who Shawn Johnson is, which is very hard to not since she was an Olympic gold medalist, then you most likely won’t like it. Also, if you normally don’t like autobiographies then don’t read this book. She breaks down every moment in her life into this one book.

This book mainly targets gymnasts, gymnastics coaches, gymnast friends/siblings, etc. to read this book. Or even people who watch the women’s gymnastics team. It gives tips to what gymnastics has or what it has to offer. How you can overcome your own fears with things that once you do, you’re like what, that was simple. I wish I would have done this sooner. It’s an inspiration for people to work harder at the sport they love and not to take any of it for granted.
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Jan 20, 2013 Beth T. rated it 5 of 5 stars

If you are a gymnast or fan of gymnastics you have to read Winning Balance by Shawn Johnson. This story describes Olympic gymnast, Shawn Johnson’s life from her point of view. The book starts with Shawn talking about her childhood and her life growing up in the small town of Des Moines in Iowa. She describes how she set goals and worked to achieve them. Shawn tells her story of what her life was like and mentions in detail the important events that led up to her Olympic medals. She gives importa...more If you are a gymnast or fan of gymnastics you have to read Winning Balance by Shawn Johnson. This story describes Olympic gymnast, Shawn Johnson’s life from her point of view. The book starts with Shawn talking about her childhood and her life growing up in the small town of Des Moines in Iowa. She describes how she set goals and worked to achieve them. Shawn tells her story of what her life was like and mentions in detail the important events that led up to her Olympic medals. She gives important lessons she’s learned throughout her life. These valuable lessons can relate to both gymnastics and everyday life. Throughout this book you really get to know Shawn and her personality shines through. This book gives the behind the scenes of what an Olympians life is like. Shawn also discusses her life after the Olympics and what the publicity is like. When Shawn suffers a major injury later in life her gymnastics career is threatened. This makes her rethink her values. She realizes what’s important to her and she gets her priorities straightened out.
There is pretty much one main character since this story is an autobiography so my favorite character from “Winning Balance” was Shawn Johnson. She is a gymnast just like I am, and I could relate to her in many ways. She is a great person who figured out how to balance school, family, a social life, and gymnastics. Also, throughout the book she makes herself out to be an average teenage girl. Besides the fact that she is an Olympic champion, she is pretty much a normal girl. She likes the same things as most teens and has the same feelings as most teens. The only difference is that she spends majority of her time training. I like Shawn because I can relate to her feelings about gymnastics and also her feelings as a teenage girl. She lives a remarkable life that I would only dream of having. When I was a younger, beginning gymnast, Shawn was my idol. Reading this book now makes me realize why I looked up to her. Shawn learns throughout the book how to set goals and how to achieve them. She also learns throughout her life how to balance many aspects along with her gymnastics career. But mostly, she learns from life experiences to never let a sport rise above what’s really important in life. I love the stories of her life experiences, and gymnastics stories that she tells throughout the book. I look up to Shawn and I learned a lot of lessons from this book. I think when Shawn wrote this book she intended for readers to learn from her experiences. I positively related to Shawn as a person and I admire her accomplishments as a gymnast and also admire her great personality.
I really enjoyed this book. I would highly recommend it to any gymnast or Shawn Johnson fan. I thought the book was very well written and was easy to relate too. Shawn writes with a sense of humor which made the book very entertaining. Her life is very exciting so there is barely a dull moment throughout the book. Each chapter has a lesson tied into it. I really enjoyed that feature and I learned a lot from each lesson. I thought this book was very well written and pleasurable to read and I think anyone else who reads this book will also enjoy it.
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Aug 25, 2012 Marisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

A beautiful book by an Olympic gold medalist whose wisdom, joy, and inner light are every bit as awe-inspiring as her athleticism.

A real highlight is the section on her floor routine in Beijing: after glimpsing Nastia's score and calculating that the gold was no longer within her own reach, she went on to give the performance of her life, winning the all-around "in the way that meant the most to [her]." Afterward, a reporter had the gall to ask how it felt to lose. She replied, "I didn't lose....more

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Aug 24, 2012 Gail Welborn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviews

Shawn Johnson’s stirring memoir, “Winning Balance” is an easy inspirational read of encouragement especially for teens, tweens and young adults. It’s about her journey to Olympic Gold in spite of injuries, stalkers and heart-rending losses on and off the balance beam that resulted in eventual exhilarating triumphs.

Her can-do attitude, in spite of disappointments equipped her to become a national and world-champion athlete that won Silver and multiple Gold medals. That same competitive spirit br...more

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Aug 12, 2012 Melissa rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: biography

So with the 2012 summer Olympic Games almost over I was able to get a book I had requested before the games began; my goal was to read about the Olympians. What I found is that everyone at my library might have had the same goal as it was hard to get the books. The book I was able to get was by Olympic gold medalists Shawn Johnson. It is called Winning Balance What I've Learned So Far about Love, Faith, and Living Your Dreams .What I found out about Shawn Johnson is that she is creative and thou...more

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Jul 01, 2012 Dawn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, memoir

Honestly, it was just okay. Shawn Johnson seems like a lovely person, who really seems to care about giving back and being a good role model to younger gymnasts. And that's who I think this book is for, younger (teen and preteen) kids who look up to Shawn. The lessons she learns are very cliche and can be found in numerous self-help books or "change my life" memoirs, so they didn't really resonate for me. I felt like she didn't go into depth about her life or training, just doling out the barest...more

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Jul 26, 2012 James rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir, read-in-2012

Gets an extra star because I'm a fellow Iowan and Shawn really is one of the best ambassadors of Iowa we could ask for.

For everyone else, it's probably a 3-star book. Shawn opens up and lets us know what it was like behind the cameras during the Olympics and during "Dancing With the Stars". (Short answer: not as glamorous as the rest of the world was probably led to believe.)

She includes some of her poetry, which again gives us some perspective into her emotions and thoughts during various momen...more

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Jun 05, 2012 Pamela rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shawn Johnson may only be 20 years old, but she has already lived an amazing life of hard work, moxie and a bit of Hollywood glamour. Johnson's recently released book, Winning Balance, covers her life from competitive gymnastics to dancing for a shiny mirror-ball trophy and everything else in between.

Since Shawn Johnson admits herself that she is not really old enough for a complete autobiography, this book really is a collection of stories that highlight her journey in life so far. Each chapte...more Shawn Johnson may only be 20 years old, but she has already lived an amazing life of hard work, moxie and a bit of Hollywood glamour. Johnson's recently released book, Winning Balance, covers her life from competitive gymnastics to dancing for a shiny mirror-ball trophy and everything else in between.

Since Shawn Johnson admits herself that she is not really old enough for a complete autobiography, this book really is a collection of stories that highlight her journey in life so far. Each chapter is also summed up with "life lesson" that characterizes Shawn Johnson's takeaway thoughts for each subject. Also, a bit surprisingly, Shawn Johnson is a poet and quite a few of her poems are also found in Winning Balance.

Shawn Johnson details her time at the 2008 Olympics with candor and her time at Dancing with the Stars with a bit of humor and fear. Fans of Johnson will appreciate her behind-the-scenes stories of what the world saw on TV during both of those times. Most poignantly, in light of her recent retirement announcement, Shawn Johnson explains the career-ending skiing accident she suffered in 2010.

The best part of this book was Shawn Johnson's transparency and honesty throughout the pages. She is transparent about weight and body image in regards to competitive elite gymnastics. What Johnson writes about her time on Dancing With the Stars and the man who stalked her is, at times, difficult to read because Johnson doesn't mince her words. Johnson's coming-of-age stories are also compelling because she is so sincere in her desire to do the best for herself and her family, while at the same time growing up in the spotlight of elite gymnastics and DWTS. Shawn Johnson also admits while growing up she didn't really attend church at all, but as an older teen she became a Christian. Bible verses and quotes from important people are found throughout this uplifting book.

This book is for fans of Shawn Johnson, but also for fans of the Olympics and gymnastics. It would be especially a good book for a teen girl looking for a positive role model who practices hard work and dedication. Throughout this book, Shawn Johnson presents herself as a normal, ordinary girl, growing up in a competitive sport that she genuinely loves. After reading this book, it is clear that Shawn Johnson has found a Winning Balance in her life.

Book summary: Olympic Gold Medalist and Dancing with the Stars Winner Shawn Johnson reveals lessons she has learned in her young, yet amazing, life.

Great quotes:"Stepping out of your comfort zone may be scary at first. But it's worth the risk to see how far you can go" Page 160

"Surround yourself with people who you know love you for who you are and want the best for you. Then don't be afraid to open your heart to them." Page 191

I received this book complimentary from Tyndale Momentum in exchange for an honest review but the opinion is all mine.(less)

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Jun 05, 2012 Andrew rated it 5 of 5 stars

In Winning Balance, Shawn Johnson has written about her successes and failures in her life of competing in the Olympics. Shawn started practicing gymnastics in a small town in Iowa. The first gym coach she had told her mother that her daughter had no talent in gymnastics. Eventually her mother decided to move her to another gymnasium. Shawn stepped into the place she was intended to be. Chow became her new coach and he began teaching her the proper way to handle and compete in gymnastic. Chow wa...more In Winning Balance, Shawn Johnson has written about her successes and failures in her life of competing in the Olympics. Shawn started practicing gymnastics in a small town in Iowa. The first gym coach she had told her mother that her daughter had no talent in gymnastics. Eventually her mother decided to move her to another gymnasium. Shawn stepped into the place she was intended to be. Chow became her new coach and he began teaching her the proper way to handle and compete in gymnastic. Chow was an influential gymnastic teacher in China before he formed his own gym in America. God was directing both of their steps for His ultimate purpose to come to pass. This book covered the entire journey that lead to her winning a gold medal in the Beijing Olympics. She shared about her faith and how she remained in balance throughout her life. She has had to struggle with injuries, overcoming adversity, living a normal life, and life decisions. After the Olympics, she even starred on Dancing with the Stars and took home the championship trophy.

I would recommend this story to anyone who loves watching the Olympics competitions. Even if you're not fan of the Olympics you will still benefit from reading this book. The book is a magnificent example of never giving up on your dreams and settling for just enough in life. Working hard and going after her dreams proved to help Shawn achieve her best life. Difficult times may come but we have a decision to stop and quit or to keep pressing on. When she competed in the Dancing with the Stars competition fear almost got the best of her. A stalker came to the ABC studio and he crossed the fence but he was apprehended. He was planning to kidnap Shawn and make her marry him. They found a gun, a knife, a bulletproof vest, zip ties, and duct tape in his car. Reading this part of the story, I could sense the fear that she was facing. There were times she wanted to leave and quit the competition for her safety and protection. Satan tried to cause her to give into fear and run but if she did she wouldn't have won the competition. She would have also let the stalker win and control how she lived her life. I immensely enjoyed the section after each chapter entitled, "Lesson I've Learned". Living out these principles can change your life. If you're looking for an inspiration story then this one will greatly encourage you.

Tyndale House Publishers/ Tyndale Momentum has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.
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May 31, 2012 Rachel rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: tyndale-blogging

Shawn Johnson's story is one to read. It gave insite into what it was like to be an athlete and trying to be a normal person. It also gave me a chance to see things I didn't consider, such as what she was feeling and thinking during the Olympics and on Dancing with the Stars (I acctually went and watched a few videos on a particular dance or routine online after reading about it). She went though many trials and triumphs. The insites she makes in the book were moving and inspiring, such as how H...more

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Nov 05, 2012 Bethany rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: review-books, read-books-i-own, read-kindle-books

3.5 stars. Ever since I had heard about Olympic gymnast, Shawn Johnson's new book, I looked forward to reading it. I love watching gymnastics, and Shawn's no exception as she is clearly gifted in the sport. Since I love reading memoirs, I was very eager to read this one. While their were a few things I didn't really relate to, or would have done myself, (such as her Dancing With The Stars experience, I personally would want more modest dances and attire, but that's just me) I enjoyed reading her...more 3.5 stars. Ever since I had heard about Olympic gymnast, Shawn Johnson's new book, I looked forward to reading it. I love watching gymnastics, and Shawn's no exception as she is clearly gifted in the sport. Since I love reading memoirs, I was very eager to read this one. While their were a few things I didn't really relate to, or would have done myself, (such as her Dancing With The Stars experience, I personally would want more modest dances and attire, but that's just me) I enjoyed reading her story. Even though I'd never want such a lifestyle, as it is clearly stress-filled, I enjoyed reading about what it's like and enjoyed all the little snippets you wouldn't know otherwise.

One thing I did notice to be a bit different was how, even though Shawn claims to be a follower of Christ, she didn't go to church as a child, nor did she know the basic fact of the Bible, such as Jesus's father's name, Joseph. I just find it a bit odd that one claims to follow Christ, yet doesn't know His father's name. However she does say she attended church as an adult, and I hope that her faith has been able to grow more since her childhood. She speaks in the book about the lessons God has taught her through her experiences, which was nice to read.

I enjoyed reading about all the dedication and work that goes into becoming an Olympic medalist. I knew it was hard, but didn't quite comprehend just how much goes into such a goal. While reading the book, I could see how Shawn dearly wanted to do well in gymnastics and saw how dedicated she was to her sport. I got inspired to be dedicated to what God has gifted me with, and feel life certain goal are now more reachable having seen how Shawn has achieved much more than maybe my goal might be.

I would recommend this autobiography to any girls who like gymnastics, autobiographies, or to those who have seen Shawn perform and want to know more about her. She was very honest in the book about struggles and triumphs, and I'm very glad I was able to read this book. I enjoyed it and considered it well worth my time. I read it in a little over 24 hours, so this would probably tell you how interesting I found it to be.

I would like to thank Tyndale publishers for providing me with a free e-copy of Winning Balance by Shawn Johnson, to review. All thoughts are 100% honest, and my own. (less)

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Mar 08, 2013 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2013

While it's nice to get a look at the preparation Shawn Johnson went through for the Olympics, hear what her experiences were while in Beijing, and find out more information about her home life, balancing the many demands of her sport, and her life after the Olympics (including what ended up being a career-ending injury), there's a lot of emotion lacking. I love her message of keeping faith and finding balance in life, but to me those messages are a dulled a bit by the fact that a lot of the book...more

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Aug 19, 2012 Aura rated it 5 of 5 stars

Being a gymnast, Shawn Johnson has become one of my biggest idols and huge inspirations. I watched her win her Olympic medals in Beijing 4 years ago, and then watched her be the youngest competitor on Dancing with the Stars and win the championship trophy with Mark Ballas. She isn’t just my idol, but is an idol to many other gymnast and people all over the world. In her new book, she describes her successes and failures in her life of being an Olympic gymnast. Her first coach told her mom that s...more

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Jun 16, 2012 Kate rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: library

The authors hope and dream is to compete professionally and then onto the Olympics in the sport of gymnastics. When she was just a tot her career began at Chow's Gymnastics and Dance Institute. At home in Iowa she was a normal girl whose life was balanced, she kept a journal, watched cartoons and had a pet named Dude. She loved every aspect of gymnastics and she possessed the dedication and fortitude to succeed.

I enjoyed reading about what a typical day was like for a gymnast and the rigorous sc...more

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Jun 02, 2012 Theresa rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Olympic Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson shares a piece of her life and experience in a very personable and encouraging way. She talks in detail about gymnastics, but also her crushes on boys, her self image and weight pressures, her time on Dancing with the Stars, her scary stalker, and the injury that nearly cost her her career. She shares many personal stories, thoughts, and poetry. This is really an inside scoop into her life, and I have to say: she has a winning personality. I love Shawn's hones...more

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Oct 29, 2012 Shelby Schumaker rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelby Schumaker 10-29-12
Good Reads book review 4BD
The book Winning Balance by Shawn Johnson is non-fiction and the copyright date is 2012. Shawn Johnson was on the 2008 Olympic Gymnastics Team that took place in Beijing. Only being at age 16, she had a whole life ahead of her, but sadly it almost came to an end in 2010. For her 18th birthday she decided to go skiing with her family and took a bad fall. She tore everything in her knee and had to get surgery. After 2 surgeries she decided to com...more Shelby Schumaker 10-29-12
Good Reads book review 4BD
The book Winning Balance by Shawn Johnson is non-fiction and the copyright date is 2012. Shawn Johnson was on the 2008 Olympic Gymnastics Team that took place in Beijing. Only being at age 16, she had a whole life ahead of her, but sadly it almost came to an end in 2010. For her 18th birthday she decided to go skiing with her family and took a bad fall. She tore everything in her knee and had to get surgery. After 2 surgeries she decided to come back to gymnastics in the beginning of 2011. Things were not the same, and after the Visa Championships in 2012, she decided it was time to end her gymnastics career and retire from the sport. Throughout the past 4 years she has been very busy and has had great support from her mother, Teri Johnson, her father, Doug Johnson and the many others who helped her get to where she is today, a successful former Olympian. Her coaches Liang Chow and Liwen Zhuang were the two people who helped her with a great deal of her success. After all of her hard work in the gym from the years leading up to the Olympics she because the World champion and won many other championships such as Visa’s, Pan American Games and the American Cup. In 2008 she was honored to take her head coach, Liang Chow back to his hometown Beijing for the Olympic Games. Shawn did a great job during the Games and received gold on the Balance Beam, and silver in the team, individual all around and the floor exercise. After her crazy Olympics were done she went on to the show Dancing With The Stars and was partners with Mark Ballas. Mark and Shawn ended up winning the show. With all the success comes lots of difficulties. While she was filming the show she found out she had a stalker, and gymnastics is very tough on your body so the mental aspect of the sport as well. The Olympics can be very stressful for anyone especially if your only 16. I give her credit for all of her accomplishments and I hope she continues to keep reaching whatever she sets her mind to. I too have felt the mental and physical stress gymnastics can put on you because I am a gymnast as well. I might not be training at as high as a level she was but I am close. This book really sums up the pressure and determination you need to become as successful as Shawn Johnson. It also goes into great detail on how she was actually feeling during the time leading up to the Olympics, during, and after. If anyone is looking for a book that is motivational and uplifting, I would completely recommend this book for you to read.
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Aug 27, 2012 Faye rated it 5 of 5 stars

A winning read, indeed!

Shawn Johnson tells her story from birth and adventurous youngster to top gymnast and finding a balance when some of the drama died down. Shawn opens up her life and her heart to her readers, as well as inspiring and encouraging along the way.

I immensely enjoyed reading Shawn's storyas she shared from her heart the trials she'd been through as well as the joys. I liked how she shared about her faith and how she had grown in a variety of ways during different parts of her l...more

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Jun 26, 2012 Elenaqb rated it 4 of 5 stars

Small in size but with a huge heart, Shawn Johnson tells us the story of what her life has been up up until now. Anyone who admires or has some interest in her career will enjoy this read.
I was particularly impressed by how she recalled her Olympic experience: I remember watching the entire competition and thinking what a great little lady she was for holding her persona the way she did. May she have the best of luck with the rest of her life.

To the creators of the ebook version, it reads on t...more

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Jan 02, 2013 Emily Nygren rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

This book was a very quick and easy read. I read the whole thing in one sitting. I picked up this book because she is my role model and I admire her for so many reasons. I could go on talking about all the reasons I love her, but I'll try to stay focused on the book.
She described this book as trying to show people the real her and I think it did just that. This book talks about her childhood, road to the olympics and highlights her time at the Beijing olympics and on Dancing with the Stars. I...more

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May 17, 2013 Taylor Pritchett rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Winning Balance
by Shawn Johnson
Review by Taylor Pritchett

I always think about what it would be like to participate in the olympic games. Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson wrote an inspiring nonfiction book titled Winning Balance. This book is about her experiences with love, faith and making her dreams a reality. She makes me feel as if I’m actually facing the struggles, pressure and pride of training then making an olympic team.

Just like most typical girls, Shawn experiences different time...more Winning Balance
by Shawn Johnson
Review by Taylor Pritchett

I always think about what it would be like to participate in the olympic games. Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson wrote an inspiring nonfiction book titled Winning Balance. This book is about her experiences with love, faith and making her dreams a reality. She makes me feel as if I’m actually facing the struggles, pressure and pride of training then making an olympic team.

Just like most typical girls, Shawn experiences different times where she has to face difficult decisions revolving around matters that she loves. She expresses this throughout the book in multiple ways. Examples include the love for her sport (gymnastics), family and, of course, boys. I enjoy reading her perspective of gaining love for different activities as well as discovering that love has been lost.

My favorite part of the book is when Shawn explains how her faith grows. Throughout the book she had to rely partially on the Lord in tough situations. It’s fascinating to hear her thoughts from a young age about her faith growing and how she couldn’t go to church weekly but she maintained strong beliefs.

The most interesting part of Winning Balance is understanding Shawn’s thoughts on making her dreams a reality. Realizing what it takes mentally and physically to reach where Shawn Johnson ended up is breathtaking.

This book encompasses her trip to the Beijing. It’s also her life story of before and after the games. This includes the struggles that went through her mind; meaning it explains the times where she was wanting nothing else but to quit the sport.

I love reading about her decisions and how she makes these decisions. The pressure of expecting to earn the gold on all four events is when she struggles with staying grounded; these events are balance beam, vault, uneven bars, and floor. While reading the book it’s noticeable how this pressure influences her decision making process.

Reading about the pride that she gained after completing the competition is one of the top three best parts to read. She earned the honor of representing the United States of America and after fulfilling her duty successfully she explains how much pride the is in representing our country successfully.

Shawn Johnson’s book is about different kinds of experiences she had growing up and why she ended up in the Beijing. This book takes you back to from the day she was born all the way up to what her goals are for the future. If you want to feel what it’s like to participate in the olympics you are going to have to go find a copy!
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Aug 06, 2012 stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012, memoirs, non-fiction, young-adult

good for the tween set. i think it's a little simplistic for anyone in high school, but shawn is incredibly endearing, grateful and open about her feelings and how she dealt with them. many girls will relate to the wonderfully bad teenage poetry we all wrote about our Feelings, and she's making an excellent career out of being a great role model for girls in today's world.

i especially appreciated her (brief) comments about how she will always probably have some sense of disordered eating becaus...more

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Jul 31, 2012 Heather rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

This a a great book by Olympic gymnastics gold-medalist Shawn Johnson. I read it right as the summer games were starting this year, so it was perfect timing. Shawn talks about her experiences growing up and beginning gymnastics as a child, offers insights into the world of competitive gymnastics such as the Karolyi ranch, Olympic trials and the Olympics themselves, and also talks about her time on Dancing with the Stars. Interspersed throughout are thoughts on her parents' perspective during som...more

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May 07, 2013 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

I recently read Dominique Moceanu's book. I remember seeing it at the library and being ridiculously excited that I stumbled upon it. Upon my arrival at home, I tore through the book, only to be left with the worst feeling that can only be felt by finishing a terribly written book. It was repetitive and negative. I don't hate many books, but I for sure hated that one. With that in mind, I was hesitant to read Shawn's, however, as soon as I popped the CD in my car, I knew I was in for a treat. He...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Aimymichelle Clark rated it 5 of 5 stars

At 20 years old Shawn Johnson is a four-time Olympic gold and silver gymnast, a national and world champion athlete. She is also a popular role model to all ages. In 2009 she won the Dancing with the Stars competition, and is no stranger to hard work. Though, she lost the gold medal in a competition in which she was the favorite to win. She had worked on gymnastics all throughout her childhood. But later just when she was going to head back to that world, she suffered a potentially career-ending...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Elaine D rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: young girls needing inspiration to follow their dreams

Shelves: awesome-god, memoirs, non-fiction

This book is Shawn Johnson's autobiography mixed with life lessons and her relationship with the Lord. She says in the first chapter of the book that it ISN'T her autobiography, but in my opinion, it certainly is. She's been one of my favorite athletes since 2008 and when I saw this book come in at work, I knew I had to read it.

Learning about her life in gymnastics wasn't only interesting, it was motivating. Hearing about her hours upon hours in the gym training for the Visa World Championships...more

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Mar 21, 2013 Alison John rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-13-school-year

Winning Balance
By Shawn Johnson
Autobiography
251 pages

This book is about the Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson and how she became an Olympic gold medalist. When she was young she loved gymnastics but she didn't think she would really get into it. As she kept getting older and older she kept moving up levels and getting a ton better at gymnastics. She went to a bunch of competitions and camps and was amazing. She made an international team and has been seen by the whole world. The people from...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Beth Bedee rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, memoir

This was a nice look into Shawn Johnson's Olympic journey and beyond from her eyes. I was especially impressed by her non-disappointment in getting the Silver in the women's all-around. Sadly, the media spins the back stories to their liking, especially in the Olympics. Athletes are built up to the point that if they don't win, it's a let down. She didn't see the Silver medal as losing. Her faith, positive family upbringing, and general class are very evident. I also enjoyed reading about the se...more

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title link	preview: Winning Balance: What I've Learned So Far about Love, Faith, and Living Your Dreams
avg rating	preview: Winning Balance: What I've Learned So Far about Love, Faith, and Living Your Dreams Goodreads rating: 4.06 (696 ratings)
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14331090-winning-balance?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1338826995l/14331090.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14331090-winning-balance?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Winning Balance: What I've Learned So Far about Love, Faith, and Living Your Dreams by Shawn Johnson[/url]

Winning Balance: What I've Learned So Far about Love, Faith, and Living Your Dreams

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