Contact: Christy Stroud
630-784-5389
christystroud@tyndale.com
Todd Starowitz
630-784-5397
toddstarowitz@tyndale.com

Carol Stream, IL – Four-time Olympic medalist and Dancing with the Stars winner Shawn Johnson will release a memoir, Winning Balance: What I’ve Learned So Far about Love, Faith, and Living Your Dreams, with Tyndale House Publishers, the Illinois-based publisher announced today. The book, which is scheduled to release June 5, 2012, comes as Johnson is attempting an Olympic comeback after a potentially career-ending ski injury in 2010. The book will provide an intimate look into Johnson’s life, including her remarkably balanced upbringing in Iowa, her quest for gold at the 2008 Olympic Games, her hard work and determination in the face of adversity after the Olympics, her turn on Dancing with the Stars, and what she is learning as she prepares for a possible comeback at the 2012 Olympics in London. The book will feature a comprehensive marketing and publicity campaign.

“My skiing accident was a challenge, but also a blessing,” said Johnson. “I had been so busy with work and travel, struggling to figure out what to do with my life, but now I finally had time to reflect and figure out who I was and where I stood with my faith and God.”

As a member of the 2008 USA Women’s Gymnastics Team, Johnson won four medals, one gold and three silver. In 2009, she captured the national spotlight again by winning the widely popular Dancing with the Stars competition. Johnson also won the 2009 ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Award) for female Olympian and the Teen Choice Award for female athlete in 2009 and 2011. In the midst of these successes, Johnson suffered the potentially career-ending injury that forced her life to a halt and made her rethink what was really important. She has made a comeback on the international gymnastics scene and hopes to be a member of the 2012 Olympic team in London, England, this summer.

“There’s an incredible depth to Shawn that many people want to know more about,” said Jan Long Harris, Tyndale Associate Publisher. “She’s an amazing athlete and role model who displays a humility and maturity well beyond her years. We’re delighted to be working with her.”

Winning Balance reveals the amazing against-the-odds journey of a young woman from an ordinary family who won an Olympic gold medal on the balance beam and became even more balanced in life. The book will be available nationwide, wherever books are sold.

Tyndale House Publishers was founded in 1962 by Dr. Kenneth N. Taylor as a means of publishing The Living Bible. It is now one of the premier publishing houses in the industry. Tyndale has published a number of sports-related New York Times bestsellers by authors such as Tony Dungy, Drew Brees, and Joe Gibbs. Tyndale also publishes the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, and many other resources for church and family. Tyndale House Publishers is located in Carol Stream, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago.