Quotes from Shawn Johnson

I pay attention to my diet to be a healthier gymnast, but I'm not obsessive over it.

I need to learn how to face challenges.

I had surgery to repair the ACL in February 2010 and was back in the gym by June, but rushed things too quickly and ended up re-tearing my MCL in September.

I have a chaperone everywhere I go - my mom.

Something my mom taught me when I was little is that everything happens for a reason.

Were taught at such a young age that you can always be better and that youre never perfect and that youre never good enough.

I'm pleased to say my knee feels a lot better. It's still not back to normal, and I don't know if it ever will be, but I'm learning to deal with it instead of expecting it to be like it was before.

I started taking gymnastic classes when I was 3 years old.

I don't want to be all power and muscle.

I'm doing four hours of gymnastics training a day, six days a week and then an extra two to three hours in a fitness center as well.

As long as you've done your best, making mistakes doesn't matter. You and I are human; we will mess up. What counts is learning from your mistakes and getting back up when life has knocked you down.

Injury taught me I need to learn how to face challenges.

My parents- they've been my biggest influences and supporters since day one. They teach me every day that happiness comes from within and not from something outside of your heart.

Gymnastics taught me everything - life lessons, responsibility and discipline and respect.

I have a healthy lifestyle, but there's nothing you can really do to prevent from rolling an ankle or something like that.

I didn't make it a priority, and as a result my knee didn't heal to the extent it should have.

In some ways the ACL tear was a blessing. I had hesitated to return to elite gymnastics after the 2008 Olympics. I told myself I had already accomplished so much, and the road was just going to get harder if I continued.

I told myself after 2008 that I was done for good. But they say you can't keep a gymnast away from her sport.

Gymnastics is not only a good thing to live by, but it is important to understand how it does help you in life.

That's the drama of our sport. Our margin of error is so small that anything can happen.

Of course, when you're training your whole life to get to the Olympics, you train for gold.

My other life keeps me calm and grounded and normal.

I was at the Olympic Games winning medals and I still doubted my image. I doubted what I looked like. That's sad.

Gymnastics has made me strong. I feel like it broke me down to my lowest point, but at the same time, it has given me the greatest strength anyone could ask for.