VIDEO: Shawn Johnson still undecided about gymnastics future

Shawn Johnson left last summer's Olympic Games with one gold medal, three silver medals, millions of fans and something else - options.

“My whole life was kind of planned out,” she said. “Since I was 3 years old, I was in gymnastics. Since I was probably 8 or 9, it was the Olympics.”

Any decision Johnson made was centered around her sport. She trained. She competed. Beijing was her goal and a gold medal her dream. When she achieved both, Johnson, 17, finally had a chance to do something different.

First there was the post-Olympic gymnastics tour, which took Johnson to 42 cities. She followed that with the “Dancing with the Stars” TV show. Since winning the televised dance competition with partner Mark Ballas, Johnson's calendar has been filled with promotions and guest appearances.

“It's kind of one of those things where you never know if they're going to come again, so you take what's given,” said Johnson, who will speak Oct. 10 at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids.

She just finished filming her second appearance for “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” She played for charity on “Who Wants to be a Millionaire?” and filmed a segment for “Extreme Home Makeover.” She signed an agreement with Nintendo Wii for an upcoming gymnastics video game and has appeared on every talk show from Ellen to Oprah, Leno to Letterman.

Comfortable in her role as “America's Golden Girl,” the attention has not gone to Johnson's head. Her Twitter account boasts nearly 38,000 followers and she loves to read the messages fans send her. She always stops to sign autographs for the little girls who want to be just like her. Johnson travels frequently - “I live my life on a plane” - but enjoys the moments she's home, where nothing is expected of her.

“The world has so many options and it's so overwhelming,” Johnson said. “I don't think it's changed me because I don't think there was something to change. You're creating yourself, adding on to what you were.”

But the opportunities come with a price. Johnson couldn't fulfill her commitments and maintain a traditional academic schedule. She chose to forgo her senior year at Valley High School for an online high school completion program. She'll graduate in December 2010.

Johnson called leaving Valley one of the hardest decision she's made. She still hangs out with her friends and attends football games, but she will miss pivotal senior moments, including prom. The only way she can attend is as a Valley student's date.

Still, the experiences she's had have allowed her to be something other than a gymnast and that has her considering opportunities beyond gymnastics. She's thought about college - UCLA and Stanford University are her top two picks - with a possible major in business or communications.

“I would love to kind of do a little bit of everything,” Johnson said.

Yet the sport that has given her so much is never far from her mind. She attended this year's U.S. Championships as a spectator, a role she isn't entirely sure she's ready to assume. There she announced she'll make a decision about her gymnastics career, one way or the other, by the end of the year.

“I'm just trying to figure it out, weigh all the odds and see what's best for me and what will make me happy again.”

Shawn Johnson in Cedar Rapids

• Shawn Johnson will be at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids Oct. 10 for the Food, Fitness and Fun event.
• The event, held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will feature a wide array of national and local exhibitors with cooking demonstrations, presentations, food samples, fitness demonstrations and giveaways.
• Admission is $6. Advance tickets are available Aug. 15 at Cedar Rapids-Marion-Iowa City and Coralville Hy-Vee Food Stores and Hy-Vee Drug Stores. Tickets are also available at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena box office and through Ticketmaster.
• “Food, Fitness and Fun” is sponsored by Cedar Rapids, Marion, Iowa City and Coralville Hy-Vee Food and Drug stores and The Gazette.

Shawn Johnson in Cedar Rapids

• Shawn Johnson will be at the U.S. Cellular Center in Cedar Rapids Oct. 10 for the Food, Fitness and Fun event.
• The event, held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., will feature a wide array of national and local exhibitors with cooking demonstrations, presentations, food samples, fitness demonstrations and giveaways.
• Admission is $6. Advance tickets are available Aug. 15 at Cedar Rapids-Marion-Iowa City and Coralville Hy-Vee Food Stores and Hy-Vee Drug Stores. Tickets are also available at the Cedar Rapids Ice Arena box office and through Ticketmaster.
• “Food, Fitness and Fun” is sponsored by Cedar Rapids, Marion, Iowa City and Coralville Hy-Vee Food and Drug stores and The Gazette.