Gymnastics star Shawn Johnson may have bade farewell to the mats early. But together with her husband, Andrew East, she’s keeping her children’s lives fun and sporty.

After clinching one gold and three silvers in the 2008 Beijing Games, a 20-year-old Johnson retired from gymnastics in 2012. But both she and East, the former NFL star, keep on sowing the seeds of athleticism in their children.

“They played baseball, softball, flag football, climbing. Our daughter is like a monkey bar queen,” the couple revealed in a recent episode of The Jinger and Jeremy Podcast. “And then our youngest is the eye-hand coordinator… Like, you can tell at a young age what they're kind of drawn to.”

By now, the couple has successfully introduced their three kids, Drew (daughter), Jett (first son) and Barrett (youngest son) to different sports. And it’s not about which sport they choose, but that they’re “doing something.”

Johnson started doing gymnastics at the age of 3 and began competing professionally by 12. While an ACL, MCL and meniscus injury tarnished her run, East, on the other hand, stepped away from the NFL to prioritize his growing family.

However, as they both keep encouraging their children to do sports now, it hasn’t always been the case.

Shawn Johnson and Andrew East Had a Different Approach Before

Undoubtedly, as parents, they want their children to try different routes and pursue their goals, whatever those may be. But there was a time when the Easts didn’t feel their kids needed to be into sports.

“'We don't need our kids to play sports,’ that's kind of what it used to be,” Andrew admitted. “And I still want them to go the route they want to. But I do think that learning physically is really important… I think it's like I think the body teaches the soul, you know?”

So, the goal is not to push their children to carry on their legacies, but to have them engaged in physicality, letting sports shape their bodies and minds.

With that being said, do you agree with Johnson and her husband? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Deblina Roy