Shawn Johnson, 79th Sullivan Award recipient wins ABC’s Dancing with the Stars
May 21st, 2009
Shawn Johnson, Olympic Gymnast and 79th Annual AAU Sullivan Award recipient, was crowned Dancing with the Stars’ eighth-season ballroom champion on May 19.
At the 2008 Summer Olympics Johnson competed in all four events during the team competition, in which the United States won the silver medal. She is the 2008 Olympic women’s balance beam gold medalist, the individual all-around silver medalist, the 2007 all-around World Champion, and the 2007 and 2008 U.S. all-around champion.
On April 15, 2009 Johnson was awarded the AAU Sullivan Award for being the most outstanding amateur athlete for 2008 based on athletic accomplishments, leadership skills, character and sportsmanship. Known as the “Oscar” of sports awards, and older that The Heisman, the AAU Sullivan Award honors the outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.
Johnson proved even further that she was deserving of the Sullivan Award when she won Dancing with the Stars. At 17 years old she became Dancing with the Stars youngest champion, is the third Olympic athlete to win the ABC ballroom dancing competition. Apolo Anton Ohno, two-time Olympic gold medalist speed skater, was the fourth-season winner and Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic gold medalist figure skater, was the sixth-season winner. Ohno was the show’s previous youngest winner at the age of 25.
When asked what she was going to do with her new trophy moments after her victory, she responded “I’m going to put my gold medal around it because it was the Olympics that got me here in the first place.”
Congratulations Shawn!
