Too muscular. Too short. Too stocky. Too young-looking.
Former gymnast and Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson was called a lot of things by the media in her time as an athlete. Often, few of them had anything to do with her athleticism.
Her mother would tell her over and over: “Honey, look at your success. Look how happy you are when you are out there on the floor. Don’t let what someone else is saying affect you.” Now, Johnson wants to be that voice for the next generations of girls, advocating for a shift in how we talk about female athletes.
More about Sports, Women, Dove, Advertising, and Social Good
