Exclusive: Gymnast Shawn Johnson Talks Self Acceptance for Dove Campaign

Shawn Johnson, olympic gold medalist, spoke to us about her battle with self esteem and body acceptance during her time as a teen athlete.

To kick off their #MyBeautyMySay campaign, Dove hosted a panel of female athletes who shared their experiences with body shaming and self acceptance amidst berating and bashing by multiple media outlets. The panel was hosted by Dove Global Self-Esteem Ambassador, Jess Weiner, and included Sports Psychologist, Dr. Margaret Ottley, Sports Commentator, Julie DiCaro, Professional Boxer, Heather Hardy, and Olympic Gymnast Shawn Johnson. 

Panelists spoke about their battle with self acceptance due to the overwhelmingly negative portrayal of female athletes and the media’s constant attention on physical details and attributes as opposed to the performance of the women in their respective sports.

During the panel, Johnson said divulged that during her teen years as a gymnast, she often cared more about the way she looked than her ability to be the best gymnast she could be. As a 16-year-old, Johnson added that she prioritized her looks because the media seemed to focus on that lost sight of her purpose for competing, and her passion for her sport. Now, Johnson works to empower other young female athletes and provides coaching and advice. Among other topics, the panelists also touched on the pay gap between male and female athletes and the psychological effects that come with constant criticism at the hands of the media. After the panel concluded, Dove revealed a massive billboard that displayed scene after scene of female athletes playing sports, then abruptly being blurred out to the point of invisibility, as disparaging headlines and comments replaced their photos. The visual display of how these comments make the athletes feel about themselves honed in on the need to create a change.

In an interview, Johnson spoke to us about why she joined the #MyBeautyMySay campaign and how she has learned to overcome what people say about her:

So, what initially attracted you to the Dove campaign?

Shawn: Well, Dove approached me and said what the campaign was about and asked if I would be interested. I said yes immediately – it was a perfect fit. I’ve seen almost every campaign Dove has put out there and thought they were incredibly moving and respectful. I love them! Getting the opportunity to work with them in this and really have a voice for girls and female athletes is really cool.

You spoke a lot about receiving criticism from the media when you were a young athlete. What was the turning point when you decided to reclaim your self worth and ignore everyone else?

Shawn: I don’t know if there ever was one. It came later on . . . Even in the past couple of years, getting to a point where I’m witnessing it first hand happening to young girls. I’m really connecting it to what I went through and you get to a point where you don’t care anymore. A switch kind of flips and you’re like, I need to change this and fix it.

Did you take any active steps towards coming to this conclusion or did it just sort of happen for you?

Shawn: I feel like it just happened. As a kid, you go through those years of being self conscious and growing up you get a little stronger and a little more comfortable with yourself. Over the years, I’ve gotten a little more comfortable with myself and sharing my story and giving kids and girls a person to relate to. I wanna tell them it’s OK, you’re gonna make it through.

What kinds of things do you tell the young women that you coach?

Everything! I always want to answer their questions because every kid has a different question. It’s just letting kids know that what they’re going through is normal. Every kid feels like what they’re going through and how they feel is wrong and nobody else could understand. So, I share my experiences and just telling young girls that you need to embrace who you are and don’t let anybody try to change you – you’re perfect the way you are.

So, what’s been the worst thing you’ve had to read about yourself?

I remember when a very very large publication did a before and after of weight gain vs. weight loss and it was honestly just the difference of me being 16 and me being a woman, and I felt very bad about myself. I struggled for many years to fight being a woman and being the 16-year-old girl that everyone accepted. Even though, even I was “too bulky” or “too masculine” or “too short”. There’s always been negative things and they’re hurtful.

Very true. And, you have this huge platform now with lots of followers on social media. How do you feel that you’re able to influence so many people?

Because social media is sort of the way the world speaks to one another, I feel like the best and biggest thing I can do is that anything that I ever post on social media is a good representation of what I’m about and what I stand for. And, a good representation for the girls that look up to me.

That’s great! So, there are 5 girls now going to the olympics for gymnastics. What are thoughts on them?

They’re amazing! I know all of them really well. It makes me so proud. I feel like the mom or the big sister watching. I can see their dreams coming true and I just wanna help them and nurture them and help them go through things a lot easier than I did.

What are some lessons that you’ve learned this far throughout your journey?

Honestly, just embracing who you are and your ability and your skill and not letting people say negative things. The world is gonna be filled with negative voices and we have to work together to change that.

For more information on Dove’s campaign, visit: Dove.com/HaveYourSay