Shawn Johnson answers your tumbling questions.

by Amanda Pecora

American Cheerleader recently met up with Shawn Johnson at the Nintendo Wii Summer 2010 Games and we asked her to answer a few of your questions about tumbling, competitions and mental blocks! The former Olympic gymnast was happy to share her secrets of being a champion.

AC: How does it feel participating in such a large athletic event like Wii Sports 2010?

Shawn Johnson: This has been a great opportunity for me because I really believe in what Wii stands for. I’ve always been the type of girl who loves to play Wii. It’s been a huge part of my life at home, as it’s great for family and friends. I love that it keeps people active because that’s very important to me. It’s a great social activity that anyone can do to stay in shape and just have fun!

AC: Do you have any tumbling tips for our readers?

Shawn: The most important tip I can give is that learning the basics is so important. Don’t lose focus on that. A lot of tumblers want to advance to the hard stuff right away and don’t worry about perfecting the little things. What they don’t realize is that by concentrating on the basics and making sure you’re doing skills correctly, your tumbling will be much better and it will make it easier to get harder skills.

AC: How do you stay cool during high-pressure competitions?

Shawn: My coach always tells me to stay in my own box and to be in my own world. I’ve always tried to follow that. Pretending I’m at practice helps to calm my body down and makes me realize that if I can do it on the practice mat, I can do it at competition.

Shawn Johnson at the Wii event with AC intern Amanda.

AC: How do you get pumped up before a competition?

Shawn: I listen to a lot of music. I definitely keep my iPod by me so I can get energized before I compete.

AC: How have you dealt with mental blocks?

Shawn: It is really about trusting yourself and your coach. It takes time to get over mental blocks and you need to be willing to see that you may not be cured overnight. But by taking the time to practice and stay calm, you can slowly get past blocks and regain your confidence.

AC: What are your plans for the future?

Shawn: I just graduated high school and I’m in the process of training for the 2012 Olympics. I’m deferring college until after the Olympics. After pursuing the Olympics, I hope to make a career in the entertainment business, maybe hosting shows. I definitely want to try and do something along those lines after 2012.

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