~Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games
Are you as excited about the 2012 Summer Olympics in London as I am? I have many fond memories of watching the olympics we recorded on our VHS player over and over again. I love watching the athletes compete, I love watching the medal ceremonies, and I love getting a little choked up listening to our National Anthem.
Shawn Johnson is no stranger to the Olympics. She has won Olympic gold and silver medal in woman's gymnastics. In her new book, Winning Balance, she informs readers all about her journey to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China. Being a girl from the Midwest myself, I loved hearing about how she became "famous" almost overnight and how she and her parents (she is an only child) handled this new fame. She has an amazing competitive spirit, but she also has a healthy sense of balance in her life. She knew she would not be a gymnast forever. It is amazing the intense training she put her body through over the years!
If you are looking for a good inspirational story for yourself or young girls in your life, I highly recommend this book. The last chapter in the book talks about her desire to train and ear a spot on the 2012 women's gymnastics team. Ironically this week, she gracefully announced her retirement due to a knee injury. She retires with three world titles, four Olympic medals, and one Dancing with the Stars trophy. Not bad for a twenty year old girl from Iowa!
You can check out a video by Shawn Johnson all about her new book here.
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