While managing her life away from the mats, gymnastics star Shawn Johnson finally revealed the real reason behind her retirement back in 2012.

Four years after clinching three silvers and a gold in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, a 20-year-old Johnson was preparing to return to the 2012 London Games. However, the knee injury wasn’t her only roadblock.

“I started competing professionally at 12, trying to balance the scales as a 12-year-old between my love for gymnastics. And now it was a job,” she said in a recent episode of the BobbyCast podcast. “I had to act like a professional USA flag bearer. And I also had to balance being a 12-year-old.”

Starting the sport at 3 out of love and transitioning into a professional by 12 wasn’t an easy process for a young Johnson. And the constant physical pressure, homesickness, and the lack of youth posed problems.

“I traveled to 20-some different countries by myself at 12, and got homesick,” she admitted. “I just knew by the time I was done with the Olympics that I was just done. I couldn't see myself doing four more years. I was just tired (and) wanted to go be a kid.”

And that resulted in a retirement before the London Games, with 4 Olympic medals she won at 16. However, there were more reasons.

Shawn Johnson Explained Why She “Lost Heart” for Gymnastics

Sure, the ACL, MCL and meniscus surgeries she had in 2010 were part of the issue. But the overbearing pressure of being a gymnast in the organization also played a role.

“Gymnastics has come a very, very long way. But back then, it was still this mindset of survival of the fittest,” she said during a 2022 appearance on The Players’ Pod. “They would just run us into the ground. And my body at that time was not able to train that way anymore.”

So, she eventually “lost the heart for it.” But this bittersweet drop of the curtain was probably necessary for Johnson to start over and explore her life differently.

Can you name another gymnast who has a similar story to Johnson? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Deblina Roy