Incidents of athletes having to turn pro over choosing collegiate careers weren’t rare in gymnastics. And Olympic medalist Shawn Johnson once revealed that she wasn’t an exception either.

It hasn’t been long since 2021, when the NCAA updated their NIL policy, allowing college athletes to capitalize on their brands. But had it been there in Johnson’s time, she might’ve graced the mats on the NCAA level, too.

“Before NIL, I remember there was a huge discrepancy,” she shared on the Sunday Sports Club podcast in 2025. “I desperately wanted to compete in collegiate athletics. But because of paying off student debt and like all these things, I ended up having to go professional so I could pay bills.”

This financial reality forced her to turn professional instead of pursuing a college degree. Having won a gold and three silvers at the 2008 Beijing Games at 16, she could’ve been a collegiate gymnast if capitalizing on endorsement deals was an option.

But managing the expenses while having a full-blown athletic career just wasn’t feasible. And looking back, an adult Johnson stated that choosing between college, sport and money making, “it shouldn't have been an issue” in the first place.

This pretty much outlines the importance of the NIL deal. But even if she managed to pursue a collegiate career, her love for the sport wasn't the same anymore.

Post-Beijing Shawn Johnson “Hated” Gymnastics

Soon after the Beijing Games, a burned-out Johnson already wanted to quit the sport. Although she tried to push for the 2012 London Games, the Olympian revealed what she felt at that time.

“I couldn’t get past the feeling of retirement, feeling like quitting,” Johnson told Kelley O’Hara in 2022, on the Player’s Pod podcast. “More than anything, I just lost the heart for it. I tried to fight that feeling for so long, but day in and day out, going to practice, I just hated it.”

Shortly before the US Olympic trials in 2012, a 20-year-old Johnson bade farewell to the sport, never to return again after having such a prolific career.

But, if she had the NIL policy at her time, do you think Johnson’s career sketch would’ve looked different? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Deblina Roy