For many young gymnasts, the dream of becoming an Olympic champion comes with years of demanding training, sacrifices, and pressure to perform. But Shawn Johnson East had a different experience growing up in the sport. Her childhood coach, Liang Chow, began training her when she was around six years old and taught her that chasing Olympic dreams did not have to come at the cost of childhood joy. And that approach helped her become one of America’s most successful gymnasts. Now, 14 years after retiring from competitive gymnastics, Johnson is paying tribute to the coach who helped her succeed without losing her love for the sport.
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On October 19, Johnson shared a video on Instagram capturing her reunion with Chow,58, at his gymnastics center in West Des Moines, Iowa. The two greeted each other with a warm hug before sharing laughs and playful moments inside the gym where so much of her journey began.
Even years after retiring, the 34-year-old showed she had not lost her gymnastics touch, performing a backflip inside the facility. The gym walls also brought back memories of her, including a poster celebrating her as “Iowa’s Golden Girl” after her success at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. As she joked around with Chow, the video offered a glimpse of the bond they have maintained over the years. But it was Johnson’s caption that made the reunion especially meaningful.
“In a sport where so many stories deserve to be heard, I want to take a moment to celebrate the good ones, too,” she wrote. She went on to praise coaches who chose kindness over fear, patience over pressure, and people over medals. Johnson also thanked those who worked to protect the childhood joy of the athletes who trusted them.
“The ones who sacrificed more than we’ll ever know to protect the childhood joy of the athletes who trusted them,” she added. “I was one of the lucky ones who got to chase the biggest dreams in the world without ever losing the little girl who fell in love with the sports.”
That support helped Johnson achieve some of the biggest milestones of her career. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, she won four medals, including gold on the balance beam and silver in the individual all-around, floor exercise, and team competition. A year earlier, she had claimed the world all-around title at the 2007 World Championships. But her journey was about more than medals.
In an interview with Freakonomics Radio, Johnson spoke about how her coaches allowed her to attend school, go to dances, and enjoy ordinary childhood activities while training at an elite level. She was expected to work hard, but gymnastics was not allowed to take over every part of her life.
Chow’s own childhood had been shaped by the demands of elite gymnastics in China. Growing up in China, he spent much of his childhood training in a demanding gymnastics system before becoming a national champion and competing internationally. In 1991, at just 23, he left his home and family in China to move to Iowa on a scholarship, hoping to build a new life in the United States.
Leaving was not easy, and his father reportedly cried as he said goodbye. After settling in America, Chow worked as a coach before opening his own gym with his wife, Liwen Zhuang, in 1998. Having experienced the demands of elite gymnastics himself, he wanted his young athletes to chase Olympic dreams without missing out on the joys of childhood. Johnson was one of the athletes who benefited from that approach.
Alongside the video, Johnson wrote, “Now as a mama of my own watching my kiddos fall in love with their own things…. I pray they find mentors, coaches, and teachers like this.” Her words carry added meaning given the challenges she faced during her own gymnastics career, when the demands of elite competition tested her both physically and mentally.
Shawn Johnson opens up about ‘Brutal’ gymnastics camps
Johnson’s journey through elite gymnastics was not without its challenges. While she trained primarily under Liang Chow at his gym in West Des Moines, Iowa, she also attended U.S. national team camps at the Karolyi Ranch in Texas. Beginning in 2004, when she was just 12, she joined the country’s top gymnasts for intensive training and evaluations as she worked toward her Olympic dream.
Looking back in 2012, Johnson offered a glimpse into just how demanding those camps could be. “It’s brutal. It’s hard. It’s some of the hardest days of our lives,” she said, while also acknowledging that the experience helped gymnasts bond with their teammates and sharpen their skills.
Years later, Johnson became more direct about the toll that elite gymnastics had taken on her. In a 2024 interview with ELLE, she reflected on why she ultimately stepped away from the sport, saying, “I wanted out of this system that just pushed and pushed and pushed overtraining and undereating. I protected myself by leaving the sport.”
Her struggles had become particularly apparent during her attempted comeback for the 2012 London Olympics. Still recovering from a serious knee injury, Johnson was wrestling with both physical pain and mental exhaustion. She eventually withdrew from the Olympic trials just a few weeks before the competition. Recalling that period, Johnson admitted she felt “really run down, both physically and mentally” and was “actually scared of being selected.” The experience had left her questioning whether she wanted to continue competing at the highest level.
Looking back, Johnson’s story was about more than the medals she won or the Olympics she nearly returned to. It is also about recognizing when the pressure becomes too much and finding the courage to step away. Now, as a mother, her hope is that her children find coaches like Chow.
