MSU Student Association lecture to feature Olympic gymnast, entrepreneur Shawn Johnson East
Contact: Sasha Steinberg
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥斞侵奚墒悠碘檚 Student Association is welcoming Olympic medalist and entrepreneur Shawn Johnson East next week as part of the organization鈥檚 Fall Lecture Series.
Taking place Tuesday [Nov. 1], the 7 p.m. presentation will be held in Bettersworth Auditorium at the university鈥檚 historic Lee Hall.
Free tickets for MSU students and the general public are available from the Center for Student Activities in Colvard Student Union, Suite 314. Students must present their student ID to claim tickets.
Since she was a little girl, Johnson East dreamed of competing for the United States in the Olympics. When she was named to the U.S. Olympics Gymnastics Team in 2008, she already was a two-time National Champion and a World AA Champion. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Johnson East helped establish the U.S. as one of the most talented teams in the world, winning the individual gold medal in the balance beam and three silver medals in the individual all-around, floor exercise and team categories.
In 2009, Johnson East published her first book, 鈥淪hawn Johnson, Olympic Champion: Stories Behind the Smile,鈥 and also received the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) Sullivan Award, one of the 聽most prestigious honors in U.S. amateur sports. That same year, Johnson East was crowned champion of ABC鈥檚 鈥淒ancing with the Stars鈥 eighth season. In 2012, she earned second place on the popular dance competition鈥檚 鈥淎ll-Stars鈥 show.
Also in 2012, Johnson East published her New York Times best-selling book, 鈥淲inning Balance: What I鈥檝e Learned So Far About Love, Faith and Living Your Dreams,鈥 and announced her retirement from competitive gymnastics following a knee injury.
Along with competing on the seventh installment of the hit show 鈥淐elebrity Apprentice鈥 in 2014, Johnson East co-founded TheBodyDepartment.com, a site that serves as an outlet for positive discussions on body image, wellness, fitness and other health-related topics.
In addition to gymnastics, Johnson East is known for her philanthropic endeavors, including work with many animal-, children- and cancer-focused charities. For more biographical information, visit .
For more on Johnson East鈥檚 presentation and the MSU Student Association, visit or follow on Twitter and Instagram @MSU_SA.
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