Shawn Johnson (@ShawnJohnson) captured America's imagination as the 2008 Olympic balance beam gold medalist and team, all-around and floor exercise silver medalist. In 2009, she received the prestigious AAU James E. Sullivan Award, given to the U.S. athlete who best represents the qualities of leadership, character, sportsmanship, and the ideals of amateurism. Johnson and her teammates were inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 2013.

In this video, Shawn explains how athletic and personal development and achievement results from a partnership between athlete and coach. Her coach, Liang Chow, worked with her from age four through 20, "He inspired me because he truly believed in me," Shawn says. Although he was tough, he was also nurturing and loving, she explains. "He was the best!"