1 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:04,960 Speaker 1: What is up? 2 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 2: Runner Gang, Welcome back to Post Run High. I'm your 3 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:10,280 Speaker 2: host Kate Max and today I got to move with 4 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 2: an absolute legend, Sean Johnson. Sean and I ran a 5 00:00:13,280 --> 00:00:15,800 Speaker 2: couple of blocks through New York City because as always 6 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:19,720 Speaker 2: we believe movement sparks the best conversations. After catching our breath, 7 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:22,200 Speaker 2: we sat down for the conversation you're about to listen to. 8 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,000 Speaker 2: Sean is a two thousand and eight Olympic gold medalist, 9 00:00:25,079 --> 00:00:28,040 Speaker 2: a mom, an entrepreneur, and so much more. We got 10 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:30,640 Speaker 2: into everything her journey from a lee, gymnastics and her 11 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 2: teens to life today, and how movement still plays a 12 00:00:33,479 --> 00:00:36,360 Speaker 2: role in her life beyond sports before we dive in, 13 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,280 Speaker 2: don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel for full 14 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:42,720 Speaker 2: video episodes. Also follow us on socials for behind the 15 00:00:42,760 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 2: scenes content at Kate Max And if you're a loving 16 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 2: post friend High, send this episode to a friend. All right, 17 00:00:48,720 --> 00:01:01,960 Speaker 2: let's get into it. Hey guys, Welcome back to Post 18 00:01:02,080 --> 00:01:04,720 Speaker 2: Run High. I'm here today with Sean Johnson. 19 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:06,800 Speaker 1: Thank you for having me. How's it going? 20 00:01:07,080 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 3: Oh? 21 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: Good Shohn? What brings you to New York? 22 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:11,880 Speaker 3: I launched a new kids supplement that I was really 23 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:14,280 Speaker 3: excited about It's called them kids, So I'm just trying 24 00:01:14,319 --> 00:01:14,960 Speaker 3: to promote it. 25 00:01:15,040 --> 00:01:17,759 Speaker 2: Sean and I ran a couple of Brooklyn blocks. I'm curious, 26 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:18,840 Speaker 2: how is the run for you? 27 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:21,119 Speaker 1: Are you a runner? I am not a runner. 28 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 3: I have ran, I've ran a bunch of like half 29 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,280 Speaker 3: marathons back in the day, but by nature, it like 30 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 3: does not come easy. 31 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:29,000 Speaker 1: I get that. 32 00:01:29,240 --> 00:01:31,399 Speaker 2: Yeah, what does your fitness look like now? Like, what 33 00:01:31,520 --> 00:01:33,320 Speaker 2: is a go to fitness routine for you? 34 00:01:33,640 --> 00:01:36,679 Speaker 3: I lift heavyweight and that is what makes my body 35 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:39,039 Speaker 3: feel the best, feel the strongest. But like I'm in 36 00:01:39,120 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 3: the gym lifting doing like kettlebells, doing Olympic lifts. 37 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 1: Olympic lifts. 38 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:47,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's so wild because so much of your life 39 00:01:47,800 --> 00:01:51,320 Speaker 2: was spent training as an elite athlete, did your relationship 40 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:52,760 Speaker 2: with fitness ever change? 41 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:56,320 Speaker 3: I mean, I started gymastics when I was three. I 42 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 3: made the national team at twelve, so I went elite 43 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:01,800 Speaker 3: at twelve, and then I retired at twenty. So I 44 00:02:01,880 --> 00:02:06,000 Speaker 3: was an elite gymnast for eight years and trained probably 45 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 3: twenty to thirty hours a week in the gym, never 46 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:10,600 Speaker 3: lifted weights, never did like running or anything like that, 47 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 3: and always with a coach and a way with the coach, 48 00:02:12,919 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 3: they told me exactly what to do. After that, I 49 00:02:17,480 --> 00:02:20,600 Speaker 3: kind of ran straight into a brick wall because when 50 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:22,520 Speaker 3: I retired, I didn't even know how to go into 51 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:25,640 Speaker 3: like a fitness center. I didn't know what to do 52 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:28,400 Speaker 3: with a dumbell. I didn't know how to work out 53 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:31,080 Speaker 3: without a coach, and kind of started this whole journey 54 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:34,120 Speaker 3: of like working with personal trainers. I ended up getting 55 00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:36,120 Speaker 3: certified as a trainer for a while just because I 56 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:40,000 Speaker 3: really wanted to learn. I went on to learn about nutrition, psychology. 57 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:43,000 Speaker 3: I ended up studying just like trying to learn how 58 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:44,560 Speaker 3: to just be a normal human being. 59 00:02:44,639 --> 00:02:47,040 Speaker 2: Right. No, but that's so true, and I feel like, 60 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:49,160 Speaker 2: regardless of the sport, I think that is a very 61 00:02:49,160 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 2: common experience that people go through. I have two brothers 62 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 2: that played lacrosse at Yale, which was a D one program, 63 00:02:54,680 --> 00:02:57,840 Speaker 2: and they won a national championship, and similar to your experience, 64 00:02:57,960 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 2: like they were at school with a coach with their 65 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:04,360 Speaker 2: team training. Once you're done playing your sport, it's weird 66 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:07,560 Speaker 2: finding your rhythm as an athlete. It is important to 67 00:03:07,600 --> 00:03:10,160 Speaker 2: do what you did and like educate yourself and learn, 68 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 2: and I think that's so cool that you always wanted 69 00:03:12,440 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 2: to kind of challenge yourself athletically always. 70 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:17,119 Speaker 3: I mean I definitely went those through those like dry 71 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 3: spells too, where I became like very unhealthy because I 72 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:21,959 Speaker 3: was either doing way too much or way too little. 73 00:03:22,280 --> 00:03:23,959 Speaker 3: I went through a session of my life where like 74 00:03:24,000 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 3: I was doing four different workouts today because I thought 75 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 3: that's what you needed to do, and I would go 76 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:30,840 Speaker 3: do Barry's boot camp and then do you know peloton 77 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:33,200 Speaker 3: and then go for a walk or I was way 78 00:03:33,240 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 3: too much. And then I went through a season of 79 00:03:36,120 --> 00:03:38,160 Speaker 3: life where I was like, you know what, I hate 80 00:03:38,200 --> 00:03:40,600 Speaker 3: working out and I am done with that. And I've 81 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:44,120 Speaker 3: since come around after having babies for the past six 82 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 3: years to truly like loving it again and wanting to 83 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 3: just truly find like strength and normal cadence and my 84 00:03:50,920 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 3: passion is for it now. 85 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 2: All right, let's rewind a little bit. I want to 86 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:57,240 Speaker 2: know about your early life. So you grew up in Iowa. 87 00:03:57,440 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 3: Yes, I grew up in Des Moines, Westmoine, Iowa in Iowa, 88 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 3: Des Moines and West and Wine is different. So West Waine, 89 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:07,800 Speaker 3: Iowa is where I grew up and I was there 90 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:09,400 Speaker 3: until I was eighteen. 91 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:10,640 Speaker 1: I loved it. 92 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:14,200 Speaker 3: It was the most perfect Midwest town, the most supportive town. 93 00:04:14,360 --> 00:04:18,080 Speaker 3: They truly like, uplifted my journey, my dream to be 94 00:04:18,080 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 3: an Olympic gymnast, and yeah, had a very normal Midwest 95 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 3: blue collar life. 96 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:26,480 Speaker 2: What was your family like though, because at four years 97 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 2: old you started gymnastics right, and was it a sport 98 00:04:29,440 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 2: that you immediately took a liking to. 99 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 1: Yes and no. 100 00:04:32,800 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 3: So my parents put me in gymnastics because I was 101 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:39,440 Speaker 3: a very very crazy, rambunctious child that thought I could fly, 102 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:42,840 Speaker 3: and I kept finding myself in the er. I literally 103 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:45,160 Speaker 3: jumped off like our stairwell. I jumped off the top 104 00:04:45,240 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 3: of an entertainment center. I cracked my head open a 105 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:49,960 Speaker 3: bunch of times, and my parents were like, we need 106 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 3: an outlet for her, so they put me in. 107 00:04:51,839 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: Ballet, and I refused to listen. 108 00:04:55,839 --> 00:04:58,159 Speaker 3: I kept doing cartwheels, so I pretty much got kicked out, 109 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 3: and then they ended up finding it gymnastics gym and 110 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:03,200 Speaker 3: I fell in love with the trampoline because it reinforced 111 00:05:03,240 --> 00:05:05,160 Speaker 3: the idea that I could fly, so I just kept 112 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 3: going back. But over the course of my childhood I 113 00:05:07,920 --> 00:05:12,480 Speaker 3: did so many sports. I played soccer, softball, swimming, track, 114 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:14,719 Speaker 3: I sprinted, never long distance. 115 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:18,360 Speaker 2: By twelve years old, you were seriously competing in gymnastics. 116 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 2: So when did you put those other sports on the 117 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,039 Speaker 2: back burner and say, Okay, I want. 118 00:05:22,839 --> 00:05:24,400 Speaker 1: To go all in gymnastics. 119 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:27,840 Speaker 3: So that was something really beautiful about my family. My family, 120 00:05:28,240 --> 00:05:30,120 Speaker 3: in a beautiful way, pushed. 121 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:31,280 Speaker 1: Against me my whole life. 122 00:05:31,680 --> 00:05:34,040 Speaker 3: So they wanted nothing more than for me to just 123 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:36,480 Speaker 3: be a normal kid, because they kind of didn't. They 124 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 3: came from very extreme lives. But gymnastics was truly just 125 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:43,240 Speaker 3: the last man standing. It wasn't always just gymnastics or nothing. 126 00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 3: And when I was twelve, I made it to the 127 00:05:45,880 --> 00:05:48,960 Speaker 3: highest level in gymnastics, which is wild. I was a child, 128 00:05:48,960 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 3: I was a baby and started traveling internationally and competing 129 00:05:52,440 --> 00:05:53,080 Speaker 3: for the US. 130 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 2: Now that you are a mom of three, your five 131 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,520 Speaker 2: year old, it's not that far away from twelve, right. 132 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 2: What is your perspective now on the life you lived? 133 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 2: Now having kids. 134 00:06:05,240 --> 00:06:08,039 Speaker 3: It feels psychotic. That's a harsh word to use, but 135 00:06:08,200 --> 00:06:11,000 Speaker 3: I cannot imagine. I don't know how my parents did it, 136 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 3: and I now understand so much more kind of the 137 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,640 Speaker 3: pain that my parents went through. My mom always says 138 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:19,840 Speaker 3: she felt like she was losing her daughter because I 139 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:23,520 Speaker 3: spent so much time at the gym willingly and she 140 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 3: literally would like ask me before practice, She's like, are. 141 00:06:26,920 --> 00:06:27,800 Speaker 1: You sure you want to go? 142 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:29,880 Speaker 3: Like we can go to the mall, I'll take you shopping, 143 00:06:30,400 --> 00:06:32,599 Speaker 3: we can go get ice cream. And it was truly 144 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:35,679 Speaker 3: it was always led by me, but it was truly 145 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:37,520 Speaker 3: like the love of my life. 146 00:06:37,279 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 2: To get to the level that you got to. How 147 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 2: many hours are you training? What does your typical day 148 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:42,680 Speaker 2: look like? 149 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:45,919 Speaker 3: My training regimen was that like very different than the 150 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:49,479 Speaker 3: stereotypical gymnast in the day. My coach had a completely 151 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:52,200 Speaker 3: different view on how to do everything, and he kind 152 00:06:52,200 --> 00:06:54,600 Speaker 3: of turned the sport to a certain extent on its 153 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 3: head because he proved you could do it a different way. 154 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:00,160 Speaker 3: I attended public school with my whole career. It was 155 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:02,719 Speaker 3: a requirement by my coach. We couldn't leave school early, 156 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 3: like we had to have good grades. We school was 157 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 3: a focus. So I went to school and then I 158 00:07:08,400 --> 00:07:10,680 Speaker 3: go to practice from four to eight, and I did 159 00:07:10,680 --> 00:07:15,119 Speaker 3: that Monday to Friday. Saturdays, I went nine to noon. 160 00:07:15,240 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 3: I would take an hour for lunch and then I'd 161 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 3: do one to three and then we had Sundays off 162 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 3: and on Sundays, we were always instructed. We had very 163 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:24,160 Speaker 3: very strict guidelines that we were never allowed to work 164 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 3: out outside of the gym, So if we were ever caught, 165 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:29,560 Speaker 3: like at a fitness center or going for a run, 166 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 3: we would have consequences where we couldn't come back to practice. 167 00:07:32,520 --> 00:07:34,760 Speaker 2: Wow, And was that kind of a sneaky thing that 168 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 2: people wanted to do just because you couldn't. 169 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:41,040 Speaker 3: I think our coach started seeing the obsessions of it 170 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 3: start to kick in the higher level we got, and 171 00:07:43,920 --> 00:07:47,280 Speaker 3: his entire focus, which I was so blessed to have him, 172 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:50,040 Speaker 3: his entire focus my whole career was protecting me as 173 00:07:50,080 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 3: a kid and making sure that I still had this 174 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:55,880 Speaker 3: like obsession and passion for gymnastics and that didn't burn out. 175 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:58,400 Speaker 3: So he would have us like skip practice to go 176 00:07:58,440 --> 00:08:01,360 Speaker 3: to school dances or go to a football game. 177 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:04,080 Speaker 1: Or in the summer, I remember he would finish. 178 00:08:03,920 --> 00:08:06,920 Speaker 3: Practice like a half hour early and we would play 179 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 3: outside and like he bought all these like bounce houses 180 00:08:10,080 --> 00:08:13,120 Speaker 3: and we'd have like carnivals. He was just a giant 181 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:16,080 Speaker 3: kid and he wanted to protect that in us, right. 182 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:17,920 Speaker 2: And he wanted you guys to feel like you were 183 00:08:17,960 --> 00:08:20,880 Speaker 2: living a normal childhood, right, which I'm sure your parents 184 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:22,280 Speaker 2: were so grateful for too. 185 00:08:22,600 --> 00:08:24,280 Speaker 1: So what is like the traditional pathlight? 186 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:27,240 Speaker 3: All the girls were homeschooled or they would school at 187 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 3: the gym, and they were training eight to nine hours 188 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 3: a day, so they were doing two four hour sessions 189 00:08:33,480 --> 00:08:35,920 Speaker 3: every day. A lot of girls were working out all 190 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 3: seven days a week with no off season of any kind. 191 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:41,360 Speaker 3: There was no social life, and it was truly just 192 00:08:41,400 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 3: like this sheltered un I think healthy view of more 193 00:08:46,840 --> 00:08:49,840 Speaker 3: is better when I think that truly just leads to 194 00:08:49,880 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 3: like negative returns and burnout. And we've seen a lot 195 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 3: of pushback on the traditional back in my generation way, 196 00:08:56,640 --> 00:08:57,880 Speaker 3: which I think is beautiful. 197 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 1: What is the gymnastics schedule? 198 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:03,200 Speaker 3: We'll like, So, gymnastics is year round. There's no off 199 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 3: season ever, so we are in the gym every week. 200 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:08,840 Speaker 3: There's no week off, which I am kind of against. 201 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:10,960 Speaker 3: I would love to see that kind of change. Maybe 202 00:09:11,000 --> 00:09:13,680 Speaker 3: I think seeing kids take time off as a good thing. 203 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 3: But the gymnastics cycle in a year works basically like 204 00:09:18,520 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 3: and it shifts based off of what level you're in, 205 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:23,959 Speaker 3: but say the elite level, there are competitions year round. 206 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:27,960 Speaker 3: We would probably wait them heavier in the first six 207 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:30,199 Speaker 3: months of the year. The Olympics usually always fall in 208 00:09:30,240 --> 00:09:33,640 Speaker 3: the summer, so we're like prepping to compete in the summer. 209 00:09:33,760 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 3: As an elite athlete, you probably have three major competitions 210 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:39,040 Speaker 3: you're prepping for. 211 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:39,880 Speaker 1: A year of the year. 212 00:09:39,960 --> 00:09:42,240 Speaker 2: And oh wow, so most of the time as a 213 00:09:42,280 --> 00:09:44,120 Speaker 2: gymnast is spent training. 214 00:09:44,600 --> 00:09:47,440 Speaker 3: Always when you're growing up in like the recreational levels 215 00:09:47,520 --> 00:09:51,080 Speaker 3: or like the lower competitive levels, you probably have. It's 216 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:54,200 Speaker 3: been so long, so I could be completely off on this, 217 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 3: but maybe like eight to ten a year, but that's 218 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:01,080 Speaker 3: within a season, so that might be eight weekends back 219 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:03,720 Speaker 3: to back or eight every other weekends kind of in 220 00:10:03,760 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 3: the fall, but it's usually like the fall season. 221 00:10:17,679 --> 00:10:21,000 Speaker 2: At what point into your gymnastics career did you take 222 00:10:21,040 --> 00:10:25,360 Speaker 2: it from those lower levels into the higher levels pretty quickly? 223 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:31,360 Speaker 3: Gymnastics has this like scale where essentially you start at 224 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 3: like a level one, and every year you're going up 225 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:36,960 Speaker 3: a level. So you go to competitions and if you 226 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:40,160 Speaker 3: meet requirements and you get certain scores, then that qualifies 227 00:10:40,200 --> 00:10:43,680 Speaker 3: you by your roster to unlock the next level. And 228 00:10:43,679 --> 00:10:46,760 Speaker 3: then after you've completed all like ten levels, you can 229 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:50,400 Speaker 3: opt to try for the Olympic level, which is called Elite. 230 00:10:50,480 --> 00:10:53,920 Speaker 3: So I just did that over ten years pretty much. 231 00:10:54,120 --> 00:10:58,640 Speaker 3: So I started qualifying when I was five. 232 00:10:58,440 --> 00:11:01,199 Speaker 2: I think twelve years old you made TMUSA and then 233 00:11:01,320 --> 00:11:03,720 Speaker 2: fifteen U one World All Around Champion. 234 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,080 Speaker 1: What did those years look like? To get from Okay? 235 00:11:07,120 --> 00:11:09,720 Speaker 2: Making tm USA is a huge accomplishment and then all 236 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 2: of a sudden, it's like you're at the level where 237 00:11:12,160 --> 00:11:14,240 Speaker 2: you're winning this incredible accolade. 238 00:11:14,400 --> 00:11:17,119 Speaker 3: I would love to be able to give you the strategy, 239 00:11:17,160 --> 00:11:19,280 Speaker 3: but because I was so young, it was all my 240 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:22,520 Speaker 3: coach who was like strategizing how to get me there. 241 00:11:23,040 --> 00:11:26,240 Speaker 3: But it was essentially when I was twelve, I qualified 242 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:28,520 Speaker 3: to my very first US Championships and that's where I 243 00:11:28,559 --> 00:11:31,520 Speaker 3: qualified to the team. From there, it just I started 244 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:35,480 Speaker 3: traveling internationally and doing the international circuit is like as 245 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 3: we call it, and that's where I started just getting 246 00:11:38,200 --> 00:11:42,680 Speaker 3: reps in on the world stage and seeing what the 247 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:47,000 Speaker 3: competition looked like and kind of gauging from there, what 248 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:49,320 Speaker 3: do I need to get better at and get stronger 249 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:52,000 Speaker 3: at and where are my scores in comparison to the 250 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:54,360 Speaker 3: girls who will be at the Olympics. In a few years, 251 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:56,679 Speaker 3: and it was kind of like just going into all 252 00:11:56,679 --> 00:12:00,840 Speaker 3: these different world markets and seeing the Chinese, the Russians, 253 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:05,920 Speaker 3: the Romanians, the Brazilians, the Australians, and saying, Okay, here's 254 00:12:06,240 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 3: where I am. Now what do I need to go 255 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:12,960 Speaker 3: shopping for in the world of skills and master to 256 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:15,520 Speaker 3: be able to go to the next market and win. 257 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:17,000 Speaker 1: At what point do. 258 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:19,120 Speaker 2: You feel like your life really changed and you were 259 00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:20,680 Speaker 2: suddenly in the public eye. 260 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:22,880 Speaker 3: I would say it started at fifteen when I won 261 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:27,640 Speaker 3: World Championships. Things started to shift where I had companies 262 00:12:27,679 --> 00:12:29,840 Speaker 3: coming to me and saying we'd like to market you 263 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:32,760 Speaker 3: for the Olympics. And I think that made it harder 264 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:35,840 Speaker 3: because up until then I didn't really have that noise 265 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:37,960 Speaker 3: around me. But the year leading up to the Olympics, 266 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:40,280 Speaker 3: it was a It was a fine balance of trying 267 00:12:40,280 --> 00:12:45,720 Speaker 3: to stay focused on getting there and appeasing the marketing, 268 00:12:45,720 --> 00:12:47,599 Speaker 3: which is what you also want because you want the 269 00:12:47,600 --> 00:12:48,920 Speaker 3: eyeballs and you want. 270 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 1: To make a living, right, And what was the like 271 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 1: in school. 272 00:12:51,800 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 3: It's gonna sound really weird, but I always said I 273 00:12:55,160 --> 00:12:57,160 Speaker 3: kind of lived like a hand on montannel life. 274 00:12:57,240 --> 00:12:58,440 Speaker 1: Right. It is a double life. 275 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 3: It really was where I never ever talked about gymnastics 276 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:06,679 Speaker 3: in school. I wanted to be Joe Schmoe at school. 277 00:13:06,800 --> 00:13:08,880 Speaker 3: I didn't want to be recognized. I didn't want people 278 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:11,400 Speaker 3: to know about this like outside life, but I just 279 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:13,440 Speaker 3: like never shared about it, and so I would go 280 00:13:13,520 --> 00:13:16,480 Speaker 3: to school and just be like me, and then afterwards 281 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:18,719 Speaker 3: I'd go to practice and like win world championships and. 282 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:21,439 Speaker 1: Just the casual life after school. 283 00:13:22,320 --> 00:13:24,800 Speaker 2: And then did you end up graduating high school or 284 00:13:24,840 --> 00:13:26,120 Speaker 2: did you have to take a step back? 285 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:27,479 Speaker 1: It was very interesting. 286 00:13:27,760 --> 00:13:30,080 Speaker 3: I completed the Olympics as a junior in high school, 287 00:13:30,400 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 3: so I ended up leaving high school to go to China. 288 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:36,280 Speaker 3: Took my home, like my homework with me, and then 289 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:40,600 Speaker 3: after it always sounds weird to say this, but after 290 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:44,719 Speaker 3: the Olympics, I didn't realize what would happen, like the notoriety, 291 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:47,920 Speaker 3: and so it unfortunately didn't allow me to go back 292 00:13:47,960 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 3: to public school because of like security for kids and 293 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:53,520 Speaker 3: just like the safety, so I ended up having to 294 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 3: homeschool my last year before I graduated. 295 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:56,960 Speaker 1: I liked the double life reference. 296 00:13:57,040 --> 00:13:59,640 Speaker 2: Really being able to enjoy your child and enjoy being 297 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:02,400 Speaker 2: in public school with your friends like that is kind 298 00:14:02,440 --> 00:14:04,240 Speaker 2: of a hard shift, especially at a young age. 299 00:14:04,280 --> 00:14:06,880 Speaker 3: It was I didn't expect it because I truly just 300 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:08,319 Speaker 3: expected to go back to high school. 301 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:10,080 Speaker 1: You're like, I've already got this sport thing going on, 302 00:14:10,280 --> 00:14:11,880 Speaker 1: Like why can't I just go back to school? But 303 00:14:12,000 --> 00:14:12,280 Speaker 1: I was. 304 00:14:12,360 --> 00:14:14,480 Speaker 3: I was also like applying to colleges, and I was 305 00:14:14,679 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 3: excited to go see my counselor and be like, Okay, 306 00:14:16,600 --> 00:14:18,800 Speaker 3: let's get my applications in and like all these things. 307 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:21,800 Speaker 3: But it it was a it's a blessing being able 308 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 3: to like do that. 309 00:14:22,840 --> 00:14:25,120 Speaker 2: Is it when you're already a professional athlete you can't 310 00:14:25,160 --> 00:14:26,920 Speaker 2: go and play the sport in college. 311 00:14:27,040 --> 00:14:31,640 Speaker 3: Yeah, So before NIL, I had to have a very 312 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 3: hard conversation because I dreamt of competing in college gymnastics. 313 00:14:36,240 --> 00:14:39,520 Speaker 3: College gymnastics and back in the day was like where 314 00:14:39,560 --> 00:14:41,920 Speaker 3: you went and had fun in gymnastics, and it wasn't 315 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 3: like the serious elite world. It's since now take it a 316 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:48,480 Speaker 3: whole different level, so like truly elite gymnasts are competing 317 00:14:48,520 --> 00:14:51,200 Speaker 3: in college at an elite level. But when I was 318 00:14:51,240 --> 00:14:55,360 Speaker 3: twelve and I was deciding between that, I basically had 319 00:14:55,360 --> 00:14:57,680 Speaker 3: to sit down with an agent because I got scouted 320 00:14:58,120 --> 00:14:59,920 Speaker 3: and it was this option of you can go pro 321 00:15:00,240 --> 00:15:03,760 Speaker 3: and you can take endorsements and money, or you cannot 322 00:15:04,200 --> 00:15:05,720 Speaker 3: and like. 323 00:15:05,760 --> 00:15:06,920 Speaker 1: Preserve your eligibility. 324 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:09,360 Speaker 3: So I could have competed at the Olympics and preserved 325 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:12,040 Speaker 3: my eligibility, but it made sense for me to be 326 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:14,960 Speaker 3: able to like cover my expenses. 327 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:17,440 Speaker 2: Exactly, yeah, exactly, because it makes sense. It's like, you 328 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:20,240 Speaker 2: have all these incredible brands coming to you. It's kind 329 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:24,000 Speaker 2: of an opportunity to just have this incredible moment in 330 00:15:24,080 --> 00:15:25,800 Speaker 2: time and moment in your life. 331 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:27,960 Speaker 1: You can't not you can't turn that down. 332 00:15:28,080 --> 00:15:31,160 Speaker 3: And at the time, my two big things that I 333 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:32,520 Speaker 3: had on my list to check off was like, I 334 00:15:32,560 --> 00:15:36,440 Speaker 3: wanted to compete in college, but my biggest dream, this 335 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:39,120 Speaker 3: is gonna sound weird, was to be an orthopedic surgeon. 336 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 1: And I wanted to get my education from Stanford. 337 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 3: So I was kind of like weighing those and I thought, 338 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:48,760 Speaker 3: by the time I competed at the Olympics, I might 339 00:15:48,760 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 3: be burnt out of gymnastics. So at least I could 340 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:54,160 Speaker 3: pay my way to go to college and become a doctor. 341 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 1: And you got into. 342 00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:58,160 Speaker 2: Stanford, I yes, yeah, we have to say that. Did 343 00:15:58,360 --> 00:16:02,160 Speaker 2: wanting to become an orthopedic surgeon. Income before, after the ac. 344 00:16:02,080 --> 00:16:04,600 Speaker 3: Altears, way before, I wanted to be a doctor my 345 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 3: whole life. I love that's so cool everything about the 346 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 3: human body and biology and physiology and anatomy. And I 347 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:16,480 Speaker 3: shadowed oven heart surgeries and brain surgeries. 348 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:19,880 Speaker 1: Okay, I love it. That is so intense. I'm fascinated 349 00:16:19,920 --> 00:16:20,200 Speaker 1: by it. 350 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:23,120 Speaker 2: Two thousand and eight Beijing Olympics. What was it like 351 00:16:23,360 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 2: walking into the arena being an Olympic athlete? 352 00:16:27,080 --> 00:16:27,640 Speaker 1: Magical? 353 00:16:27,960 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 3: I would relate it to like the first time a 354 00:16:29,680 --> 00:16:33,120 Speaker 3: kid walked into Disney World. It just felt so grand 355 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:36,720 Speaker 3: to me and so spectacular. I truly feel like the 356 00:16:36,760 --> 00:16:41,280 Speaker 3: Beijing Olympics went above and beyond. Just how they executed 357 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:44,120 Speaker 3: those Olympics was incredible as an athlete, and so it 358 00:16:44,240 --> 00:16:46,640 Speaker 3: just all felt like magic, something a little interesting. I 359 00:16:46,640 --> 00:16:50,760 Speaker 3: didn't get to walk through opening ceremonies. Gymnasts usually don't 360 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:53,640 Speaker 3: because our first competition is the next morning, So. 361 00:16:53,640 --> 00:16:55,800 Speaker 2: It really is your first moment at the Olympics is 362 00:16:55,800 --> 00:16:58,320 Speaker 2: like actually stepping into the arena. 363 00:16:58,120 --> 00:16:59,800 Speaker 1: And it was. It felt just as magical. 364 00:16:59,840 --> 00:17:02,320 Speaker 3: I'm remember watching the opening ceremonies and thinking, like, in 365 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:05,200 Speaker 3: the morning, I'm gonna go compete, which is really special, 366 00:17:05,640 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 3: but it's just the whole atmosphere being around the world's 367 00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:12,320 Speaker 3: best athletes walking through the village and seeing fencers and 368 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:15,960 Speaker 3: long distance runners and just basketball players from all these 369 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:19,240 Speaker 3: countries and knowing that like they had had a similar 370 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:22,880 Speaker 3: journey to a certain extent, it put it humanized everyone, 371 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:24,240 Speaker 3: but it was really. 372 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:26,360 Speaker 1: Cool and putting on your team USA outfits. 373 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:29,679 Speaker 3: One of my absolute like dreams in my gymnastics career 374 00:17:29,840 --> 00:17:32,719 Speaker 3: was getting my very first USA leotard and when I 375 00:17:32,760 --> 00:17:35,120 Speaker 3: got that, I was a kidney candy store. 376 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:38,080 Speaker 1: They're stunning. And then being able to like wear red, 377 00:17:38,080 --> 00:17:38,359 Speaker 1: white and. 378 00:17:38,320 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 3: Blue leotard and you have like the insignia, and like 379 00:17:41,119 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 3: it just makes it feel like you make it something 380 00:17:43,840 --> 00:17:45,879 Speaker 3: that I wish someone would cover and maybe they have. 381 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:48,040 Speaker 3: I just feel like I've looked for it and they don't. 382 00:17:48,480 --> 00:17:50,800 Speaker 3: Is when USA athletes head off to the Olympics, you 383 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:55,200 Speaker 3: go through something called processing, and it's where. 384 00:17:55,080 --> 00:17:56,280 Speaker 1: Almost all the athletes. 385 00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:59,440 Speaker 3: Sometimes they'll like opt out based off of like scheduling, 386 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:01,880 Speaker 3: but they meet up in some city in the United 387 00:18:01,920 --> 00:18:05,600 Speaker 3: States where you go through like the rules of social 388 00:18:05,640 --> 00:18:07,400 Speaker 3: media and what you can and can't say, and how 389 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:09,719 Speaker 3: to represent the United States, But you also get all 390 00:18:09,760 --> 00:18:12,880 Speaker 3: the gear, and it's usually some sort of warehouse where 391 00:18:12,920 --> 00:18:15,399 Speaker 3: you get like a shopping cart and you go down 392 00:18:15,400 --> 00:18:17,240 Speaker 3: the roads and down the aisles and you get all 393 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:19,280 Speaker 3: of the Olympic gear you're gonna wear at the Olympics. 394 00:18:19,880 --> 00:18:22,000 Speaker 3: And I remember it being like the coolest thing ever. 395 00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:24,760 Speaker 3: And you're there with like the USA basketball team, and 396 00:18:24,800 --> 00:18:28,040 Speaker 3: you're like, it's just it's so cool to be able 397 00:18:28,080 --> 00:18:30,480 Speaker 3: to share that moment as USA athletes. 398 00:18:30,640 --> 00:18:33,800 Speaker 2: What was something from your Olympic experience that surprised you 399 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:35,800 Speaker 2: that you maybe didn't expect growing into it. 400 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:39,280 Speaker 3: Back to what I said that humanizing all of these 401 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:43,280 Speaker 3: massive figures, Being able to walk through the village and 402 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:48,240 Speaker 3: see Nadol and Yao Ming and Serena Williams and know 403 00:18:48,320 --> 00:18:50,000 Speaker 3: that like you're all there for the same thing, it 404 00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:53,119 Speaker 3: was really really special. I just love sports, and I 405 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:56,119 Speaker 3: loved sports my whole life. I followed so many different sports, 406 00:18:56,160 --> 00:18:58,000 Speaker 3: and so I think that was why it was so 407 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:02,680 Speaker 3: cool at the village, is seeing all the different bodies 408 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:06,679 Speaker 3: in different countries and different talents and also feeling so 409 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:10,040 Speaker 3: warm and welcome. I think was so fun because I 410 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:14,520 Speaker 3: was sixteen years old walking into the cafeteria and the rowing. 411 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:15,760 Speaker 1: Team being like, do you guys want to sit here? 412 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:18,120 Speaker 1: And like what's here? It was. It was really special 413 00:19:18,359 --> 00:19:21,720 Speaker 1: because it is gymnastics. Typically the youngest group of people 414 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:23,400 Speaker 1: it they are, yeah. 415 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:27,800 Speaker 3: By far, especially back then. I think it's since gotten 416 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:30,639 Speaker 3: a little bit older, which I love seeing. You're seeing 417 00:19:30,680 --> 00:19:33,760 Speaker 3: more and more like late twenties and stuff compete in gymnastics. 418 00:19:33,800 --> 00:19:36,800 Speaker 3: But in our in twentousand and eight, we were six 419 00:19:37,080 --> 00:19:38,200 Speaker 3: fifteen to nineteen. 420 00:19:38,280 --> 00:19:39,480 Speaker 1: It's so wild to think about. 421 00:19:39,800 --> 00:19:42,959 Speaker 2: Yeah, babies, babies, And I feel like the craziest thing 422 00:19:43,000 --> 00:19:45,800 Speaker 2: about it is at such a young age you were 423 00:19:45,800 --> 00:19:48,840 Speaker 2: competing at such a high level. Applause to your parents 424 00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:51,440 Speaker 2: because it's so hard also to know what to do, 425 00:19:51,880 --> 00:19:53,840 Speaker 2: especially since they weren't gymnasts. 426 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:56,359 Speaker 3: I think what happened and this was like a whole 427 00:19:56,560 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 3: just luck of the draw thing. The gymnastics gym that 428 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:02,159 Speaker 3: I started out at was like the only gym in 429 00:20:02,200 --> 00:20:05,320 Speaker 3: our city. And then out of nowhere, this guy from 430 00:20:05,480 --> 00:20:08,480 Speaker 3: China moves to Des Moines, Iowa, and he opens a 431 00:20:08,520 --> 00:20:10,000 Speaker 3: gym closer to our house, and. 432 00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:11,600 Speaker 1: It's like fate. It literally was fate. 433 00:20:11,640 --> 00:20:14,320 Speaker 3: But it saved my parents gas money and they were like, 434 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:15,960 Speaker 3: we have we're gonna switch here because we need to 435 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,000 Speaker 3: save extra dollars. Was the greatest thing to ever happened. 436 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:23,080 Speaker 3: He truly like held my parent's hand, and I remember 437 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 3: I was accelerating a little bit faster than my parents 438 00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:28,600 Speaker 3: were comfortable with, and they would have like hard conversations 439 00:20:28,600 --> 00:20:30,800 Speaker 3: with him and they're like, I don't want to let 440 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 3: her move up because she's going to be this older 441 00:20:32,359 --> 00:20:35,159 Speaker 3: girls and that's not appropriate for her age. And it 442 00:20:35,280 --> 00:20:38,280 Speaker 3: was truly this like just working through things. 443 00:20:38,400 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 2: But have your parents ever reflected with you on that time, 444 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:45,280 Speaker 2: especially now that you are a mom. I'm curious as 445 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:47,400 Speaker 2: your mom ever given you advice? 446 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:50,359 Speaker 3: Almost We're talking through a lot of stuff now, my 447 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:52,960 Speaker 3: mom and I, especially since my kids are starting sports 448 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:58,679 Speaker 3: and my daughter actually got scouted for a sport and 449 00:20:59,320 --> 00:21:01,360 Speaker 3: just trying to like bounce that off my mom and be. 450 00:21:01,320 --> 00:21:04,280 Speaker 1: Like I don't know what to do here? Is it gymnastics? 451 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:05,480 Speaker 2: No? Wow? 452 00:21:05,640 --> 00:21:06,280 Speaker 1: Figure skating? 453 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:07,120 Speaker 2: Yeah? 454 00:21:07,200 --> 00:21:08,680 Speaker 1: Yeah? Oh my god, I. 455 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:11,520 Speaker 2: Know those are just like in my mind, like those 456 00:21:11,520 --> 00:21:13,480 Speaker 2: are those are just like the most beautiful sports. 457 00:21:13,520 --> 00:21:14,880 Speaker 1: So I love it and ballet. 458 00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:18,320 Speaker 3: And she does ballet too, But it's this it's this 459 00:21:18,560 --> 00:21:24,119 Speaker 3: hard reality as a parent of I teach kids, and 460 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:26,199 Speaker 3: I talk to parents all the time, and so like, 461 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:28,960 Speaker 3: as a removed person, I can so easily tell a 462 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:32,520 Speaker 3: parent like it's not important, like she's literally only five. 463 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:34,920 Speaker 3: But then when it becomes your own kid, I literally 464 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:37,000 Speaker 3: can go running to my mom and like, I don't 465 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:38,720 Speaker 3: know what to do here. I don't want to hold 466 00:21:38,720 --> 00:21:42,280 Speaker 3: her back and something that could be her treasure in life. 467 00:21:42,880 --> 00:21:45,280 Speaker 3: But I also want to help foster her passions and 468 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:48,680 Speaker 3: protect them like they did for me. So it's it's 469 00:21:48,760 --> 00:21:51,000 Speaker 3: just a fine balance. But I truly think the greatest 470 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:53,159 Speaker 3: thing you can do for a child in any sport 471 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:56,280 Speaker 3: is protect their love for it, which means, to a 472 00:21:56,280 --> 00:21:57,840 Speaker 3: certain extent, holding them back. 473 00:21:58,160 --> 00:22:00,760 Speaker 2: What is the Sean Johnson approach to parenting? When you're 474 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:02,680 Speaker 2: watching your kid from the sideline. 475 00:22:02,280 --> 00:22:06,199 Speaker 3: Oh, I like sew my lips shut, and I'm just 476 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:07,160 Speaker 3: the biggest cheerleader. 477 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 1: Okay, I love that. But you can say you're competitive though. 478 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:13,400 Speaker 3: I'm very competitive, Like I'm dying inside, yeah, and I'm like, oh, 479 00:22:14,080 --> 00:22:14,879 Speaker 3: you know how to do this? 480 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:15,520 Speaker 1: What are you doing? 481 00:22:15,800 --> 00:22:17,919 Speaker 3: You know? It's it's not like the coaching side as 482 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:20,280 Speaker 3: it is, like I know their potential and their their 483 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:23,800 Speaker 3: abilities and so like when they have hard days, I 484 00:22:23,800 --> 00:22:25,960 Speaker 3: don't want to say that because I always just want 485 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:26,840 Speaker 3: to be their cheerleader. 486 00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:41,440 Speaker 2: After the Olympics, you solidified yourself as one of the 487 00:22:41,440 --> 00:22:42,919 Speaker 2: biggest names in the sport. 488 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:43,800 Speaker 1: Oh thank you. 489 00:22:44,000 --> 00:22:46,400 Speaker 2: And then two years later you and I talked about 490 00:22:46,440 --> 00:22:49,240 Speaker 2: this before we started filming, but we share kind of 491 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:50,320 Speaker 2: a traumatic injury. 492 00:22:50,800 --> 00:22:53,400 Speaker 3: My coach, who I've talked about a little bit already, 493 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:55,679 Speaker 3: he kind of went against the grain and had a 494 00:22:55,680 --> 00:22:58,520 Speaker 3: different system with things. A lot of times in gymnastics 495 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 3: coaches were very strict. You couldn't play other sports, you 496 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:04,199 Speaker 3: couldn't kind of go be a kid. He had no rules. 497 00:23:04,280 --> 00:23:06,119 Speaker 3: He's like, I want you to go try everything. I 498 00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:08,080 Speaker 3: want you to go do everything. You can go horseback riding, 499 00:23:08,119 --> 00:23:10,280 Speaker 3: you can play soccer, you can play lacrosse. See like, 500 00:23:10,280 --> 00:23:12,280 Speaker 3: whatever you want to do, he said, But the only 501 00:23:12,359 --> 00:23:14,280 Speaker 3: rule I have in my gym is you can't ski, 502 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:19,879 Speaker 3: which I abided by. I officially retired the first time 503 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:22,080 Speaker 3: right after the Beijing Olympics, and I was like, you 504 00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:23,920 Speaker 3: know what, I want to learn to ski because I've 505 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:26,600 Speaker 3: done everything else and I loved it. I fell in 506 00:23:26,640 --> 00:23:29,560 Speaker 3: love with it. My eighteenth birthday, we went skiing. It 507 00:23:29,640 --> 00:23:34,000 Speaker 3: was cliche, last run, last day, easy run. Nothing is 508 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:36,280 Speaker 3: just a freak accident. I took a fall in my ski, 509 00:23:36,320 --> 00:23:37,480 Speaker 3: didn't come out of my boot. 510 00:23:37,760 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 2: It's the most awful injury, I swear, because then it's 511 00:23:41,359 --> 00:23:43,639 Speaker 2: like you have to just have a lifetime of a compromise. Me. 512 00:23:44,240 --> 00:23:47,520 Speaker 3: I was really fortunate my entire career to be very, 513 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:49,400 Speaker 3: very healthy. I had shin splints, I had a couple 514 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:51,960 Speaker 3: of stress fractures, but other than that, I was healthy. 515 00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:55,400 Speaker 3: No major surgeries, no brakes. I remember as soon as 516 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:59,119 Speaker 3: it happened, I was sitting on the mountain and I knew. 517 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:01,119 Speaker 1: I was like, that. 518 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:04,920 Speaker 3: Wasn't a normal sound or feeling. I ended up skiing 519 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:06,720 Speaker 3: down the mountain, which is wild. 520 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:09,919 Speaker 2: No way, it's I don't think that's wild because you 521 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:12,560 Speaker 2: can still like after I tore my ACL the first 522 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:14,680 Speaker 2: time and again I was actually the same exact way, 523 00:24:15,080 --> 00:24:18,960 Speaker 2: no breaks, nothing, no other weird injuries, no concussions, like nothing, 524 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:20,960 Speaker 2: And then it was the ACL. 525 00:24:21,160 --> 00:24:24,639 Speaker 3: And it's it's sneaky because for a while I think it. 526 00:24:24,800 --> 00:24:26,320 Speaker 3: I think I went a couple of months before I 527 00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:28,439 Speaker 3: even went to the doctor, which I don't advise like, 528 00:24:28,520 --> 00:24:30,320 Speaker 3: if you feel anything's off, just go straight to the 529 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:34,080 Speaker 3: doctor to see. But I had learned as professional athletes, 530 00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:37,399 Speaker 3: like compensating and stuff. I knew if I ran or 531 00:24:37,480 --> 00:24:40,119 Speaker 3: walked in a perfectly straight line, I was fine. I 532 00:24:40,200 --> 00:24:43,240 Speaker 3: just couldn't turn and if I turned, I would buckle. 533 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 3: And I remember when I finally went to the doctor, 534 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:48,400 Speaker 3: they were like, oh, honey, like it's your acel, You're 535 00:24:48,640 --> 00:24:53,200 Speaker 3: you're blown and did the full surgery, rehabbed, and I 536 00:24:53,240 --> 00:24:56,840 Speaker 3: don't think I fully rehabbed properly. I think I cheated 537 00:24:56,840 --> 00:24:59,640 Speaker 3: that system a little bit. Went back to early went 538 00:24:59,640 --> 00:25:03,240 Speaker 3: back int competing in gymnastics. I wanted to feel strong 539 00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:05,520 Speaker 3: again and that was the first time I felt vulnerable 540 00:25:05,640 --> 00:25:08,760 Speaker 3: in my body. And that's honestly what brought me back. 541 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:11,760 Speaker 3: Got completely back to competition. And it was through competition. 542 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 3: When I finally retired a second time. I went back 543 00:25:15,359 --> 00:25:17,399 Speaker 3: to the doctor and they're like, it didn't hold, like 544 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:21,040 Speaker 3: it's super loose. It's so I redid it all again. 545 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:25,040 Speaker 3: I add five knee surgeries meniscus. 546 00:25:25,119 --> 00:25:27,680 Speaker 1: Yeah, just cleanups for the rest of our life or 547 00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:28,560 Speaker 1: a part of this club. 548 00:25:29,119 --> 00:25:30,919 Speaker 2: Yeah. And then I had the similar experience where it 549 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:33,000 Speaker 2: was like I got the surgery the first time. I 550 00:25:33,040 --> 00:25:35,760 Speaker 2: tore my ACL MCL meniscus in that one shot. So 551 00:25:36,119 --> 00:25:38,280 Speaker 2: you know, I guess the MCL repairs on its own 552 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:40,560 Speaker 2: or whatever, or it can. I think I like it 553 00:25:40,600 --> 00:25:42,800 Speaker 2: could because that's like the blood flow to that ligament. 554 00:25:43,040 --> 00:25:43,800 Speaker 1: Yep, there is. 555 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:47,800 Speaker 3: So you are non weight bearing for a long time. 556 00:25:47,920 --> 00:25:49,640 Speaker 3: At the long time, which is the hardest part. 557 00:25:49,720 --> 00:25:52,280 Speaker 2: The hardest part too, I feel like is as an athlete, 558 00:25:52,320 --> 00:25:54,600 Speaker 2: and obviously you were on a completely different level of 559 00:25:54,600 --> 00:25:57,080 Speaker 2: what an athlete is. But for me, it was like 560 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:00,840 Speaker 2: I was a three sport athlete and all of a sudden, 561 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:05,280 Speaker 2: you go from being at peak performance to like zero 562 00:26:05,520 --> 00:26:07,040 Speaker 2: zero actually negative. 563 00:26:07,160 --> 00:26:08,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, you have to get back to zero. 564 00:26:08,480 --> 00:26:10,439 Speaker 2: And the hard thing about n ACL tair is you 565 00:26:10,480 --> 00:26:13,840 Speaker 2: can't go any faster than anybody else because it's a 566 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:15,840 Speaker 2: ligament and it's not like it's like a muscle that 567 00:26:15,880 --> 00:26:16,560 Speaker 2: we strengthen. 568 00:26:17,200 --> 00:26:20,240 Speaker 1: It really is just leaving time for the graft to heal. 569 00:26:20,400 --> 00:26:20,600 Speaker 2: Yep. 570 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:23,160 Speaker 3: I kept feeling like I could beat the system. I'm like, oh, 571 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:24,240 Speaker 3: I'll do it a little bit faster. 572 00:26:24,560 --> 00:26:27,560 Speaker 2: No, let's fast forward to today. Okay, you're a mom 573 00:26:27,720 --> 00:26:31,400 Speaker 2: of three, you're an entrepreneur. You've got a whole business 574 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:33,560 Speaker 2: going for yourself. What has it been like, What are 575 00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:35,760 Speaker 2: you currently up to, What are you excited about. 576 00:26:36,200 --> 00:26:38,880 Speaker 3: It's a lot of fun. My husband and I work together. 577 00:26:39,160 --> 00:26:43,240 Speaker 3: We started doing this whole social media world. A couple 578 00:26:43,200 --> 00:26:45,679 Speaker 3: of things we're really excited about. We've been investing in 579 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:48,119 Speaker 3: women's sports a lot, and I love it. I've been 580 00:26:48,160 --> 00:26:51,480 Speaker 3: learning so much about women's soccer and women's volleyball, and 581 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:54,359 Speaker 3: we've just been really trying to give back to the 582 00:26:54,400 --> 00:26:57,000 Speaker 3: women's sports community, especially now being a mom to a daughter. 583 00:26:57,800 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 3: The more we can do there, I think, the better. 584 00:27:01,680 --> 00:27:04,159 Speaker 3: And then my babies are my life. It's because my 585 00:27:04,200 --> 00:27:08,840 Speaker 3: babies that we started being kids. I had this frustration, 586 00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:13,040 Speaker 3: as someone who's obsessed with nutrition and exercise, that there 587 00:27:13,119 --> 00:27:15,400 Speaker 3: is a need for a supplement for a kid, which 588 00:27:15,440 --> 00:27:18,320 Speaker 3: sounds weird, but if you know kids and toddlers, they're 589 00:27:18,320 --> 00:27:22,639 Speaker 3: picky and they like cheetos and peanut butter and like 590 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:23,160 Speaker 3: that's it. 591 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:25,080 Speaker 1: And at the end of the day, I felt like 592 00:27:25,080 --> 00:27:26,280 Speaker 1: they were lacking. My kids. 593 00:27:26,400 --> 00:27:28,160 Speaker 3: See, my husband and I wake up every morning and 594 00:27:28,160 --> 00:27:30,480 Speaker 3: make protein shakes and take our supplements and kind of 595 00:27:30,520 --> 00:27:34,639 Speaker 3: like prep our bodies, and they were always asking for hours, 596 00:27:34,640 --> 00:27:37,720 Speaker 3: which they couldn't have because of you know, things that 597 00:27:37,720 --> 00:27:40,600 Speaker 3: were in them. And I was like, why isn't there 598 00:27:40,640 --> 00:27:42,920 Speaker 3: something like this for a kid? And so I went 599 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:44,720 Speaker 3: out and got all the supplements I could find for 600 00:27:44,840 --> 00:27:47,960 Speaker 3: kids and to cover all of their bases. They'd be 601 00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:50,920 Speaker 3: taking like eight gummies a day and it's just sugar 602 00:27:50,960 --> 00:27:53,040 Speaker 3: and candy, and so I went and made one. 603 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:55,440 Speaker 1: I selfishly made it only for my children. 604 00:27:56,480 --> 00:28:00,000 Speaker 3: It was this incredible powder that you mixed with milk 605 00:28:00,119 --> 00:28:01,560 Speaker 3: and it made it taste like chocolate milk, but it 606 00:28:01,600 --> 00:28:06,240 Speaker 3: was a prebiotic, a probiotic, a greens blend so like kale, broccoli, 607 00:28:06,440 --> 00:28:09,920 Speaker 3: all this stuff, and then a multivitamin. And after six 608 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:12,760 Speaker 3: months of them taking it and loving it, I was like, 609 00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:15,040 Speaker 3: maybe I should like give this to other parents, so 610 00:28:15,160 --> 00:28:16,040 Speaker 3: we started selling it. 611 00:28:16,160 --> 00:28:19,480 Speaker 2: The last question is knowing what you know now, what's 612 00:28:19,560 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 2: one piece of advice you would give to your younger self? 613 00:28:22,960 --> 00:28:26,600 Speaker 1: Stop caring what other people think and have fun. I got. 614 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:29,320 Speaker 3: I lost a lot of my joy in my sport 615 00:28:29,400 --> 00:28:31,200 Speaker 3: and in my career over the years trying to please 616 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:33,959 Speaker 3: other people. And then when I stopped trying to please them, 617 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:36,359 Speaker 3: and I just truly had fun and found what I loved. 618 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:37,639 Speaker 1: Things started to work. 619 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:40,280 Speaker 2: Out better well, Sean, thank you so much for being 620 00:28:40,320 --> 00:28:42,720 Speaker 2: with us today. Thank you for running and chatting with 621 00:28:42,760 --> 00:28:44,040 Speaker 2: me anytime,