She's a role model for young girls and budding gymnasts everywhere, not to mention for celebrities hoping to score an appearance and the ultimate victory on Season Eight of "Dancing With the Stars." But Shawn Johnson, winner of a gold medal and three silvers at the 2008 Summer Olympics, still finds time to travel across the country, giving lectures to her fans in the hopes of inspiring them to follow their dreams. The Daily's Alex Prewitt caught up with Johnson following her talk at Tufts on Wednesday to discuss gymnastics, being a star and the possibility of being a Jumbo.
Alex Prewitt: You've won gold medals, and you've won "Dancing With the Stars." So why come to a small school like Tufts to give these talks?
Shawn Johnson: I don't know if I'll have a small impact or a big impact, but if I can do a few of these school appearances a month, then I'm reaching a community. And even if it's one person, it's getting a message across.
AP: What did you think of the collegiate atmosphere in this lecture hall?
SJ: It was fun, being able to talk to people who are my age and a little older. It's a little different transition because I'm used to talking to eight−year olds, but it's still fun.
AP: How do you manage to still get the same teenage experience that any of these kids in this room with you would have?
SJ: It's all about balance. I definitely don't get the same exact experience, but I get to have things in exchange and in return I get to travel the world and meet amazing people and get some of the normal lifestyle too. It's about balancing your time.
AP: You seem to have this incredible rapport with your fans, even though you're younger than most of them. How important is it to you to maintain that intimate, close relationship with the people who admire you so much?
SJ: It's really important. I've met a lot of people like celebrities, people who I've looked up to, and they're really distant. They're all about the fame, all about staying high−profile. I was here, I was that person, I wanted to know it was like. I wanted to be friends with them and I wanted to return that [feeling] because I didn't want to be like a stereotype.
AP: Two years ago, you were in Beijing winning four medals. Has the magnitude of what you accomplished diminished?
SJ: It's definitely changed. Especially after "Dancing With the Stars," people saw me more as a dancer than an Olympic gymnast, but it's still there. I'm still being able to do things like this and it's because of the Olympics and who I am, and hopefully it will continue because I love what I do.
AP: How do you want people to see you?
SJ: As just a normal girl who saw her dreams come true. It's weird being put on a pedestal like a celebrity because I don't feel like it — I still feel like the normal Shawn I've always been.
AP: How is it easy for you to remain that relatable person, that same teenager at heart, even when these people are putting you on a pedestal?
SJ: For a second, I can feel like I'm on a pedestal, but then I look at everybody, and they look like my friends, so it's just like telling my friends my story, and they've asked and they want to know, so it's just about answering questions. I want to tell people what they want to hear and what they're curious of because I was that person.
AP: What non−gymnastics moment are you most proud of?
SJ: I'm most proud of school. Through everything I've maintained straight A's. I've always wanted to get into an Ivy League school, and I was accepted. I don't know if I'm going to go, but it's a huge thing that I've always worked for, and I'm really proud of maintaining that.
AP: Michelle Kwan goes to graduate school here. We have a Winter Olympian, but we need a Summer Olympian. Thoughts?
SJ: I will think about it … I've always wanted to go to Stanford ever since I was a little girl. I had aspirations to go to Harvard, I'm looking at Duke and Vanderbilt, but Stanford has a gymnastics team and needs help with the coaching.
AP: See, Tufts doesn't have a gymnastics team.
SJ: We could start one!
AP: How do you cope with all the stress of flying across the country and giving all of these lectures?
SJ: I love it. Honestly, it's a story, and it's something I want to share because I feel like everybody else. I feel like I just worked hard for something, and I proved that a small−town, Midwest girl can see her dreams come true. I remember growing up in gymnastics, I had my role models, and I looked up to Nastia Liukin. She was a high competitor when I was just getting started, and I wanted to ask questions. I wanted to know how to get there and how to achieve your dreams and how to stay in everything and how it works.
AP: You mentioned during the talk that you love to watch movies. If the Shawn Johnson life story gets made, who is playing you?
SJ: Jennifer Aniston. She's just stunning and naturally beautiful.
AP: Could she do a backflip?
SJ: She could learn. She's Jennifer Aniston. I can coach her.
