Quotes from Shawn Johnson

I'm trying to stay as calm as possible and focus one day at a time, but when reality sets in, I feel everything: anxiety, excitement, nerves, pressure and joy.

Stay strong. Stand up. Have a voice.

I still can't believe I'm an Olympic athlete.

To finish off this whole Olympics by finally getting the gold medal, it's the best feeling in the world.

People only see gymnastics on TV and in the Olympics at such an extreme. So it can be intimidating.

I fell in love with gymnastics. I love what I do now. I work with people that I love to be around. Success comes from that.

Critique the performance, and respect the hard work put in.

I live for Pilates reformer class. I go at least three times a week. It's a great way to lengthen your muscles, stretch, and kind of relax your mind.

I was able to do Classics, the U.S. national championships and the Pan American Games and feel like I improved with each meet, but I was still struggling with a lot of residual pain from the two surgeries.

Retiring was scary and it was tough to give up gymnastics, but so many great opportunities have come from it that I never expected.

People put too much emphasis on looks.

Staying healthy and consistent is paramount.