Liang Qiao (Chow) and his wife Zhuang Liwen, both Chinese immigrants who were teammates on the Chinese national gymnastics team, had opened a gymnastics studio in West Des Moines a couple of months earlier. When the Johnsons went to check it out, Chow was impressed by the youngster's energy and enthusiasm.

"She and her mom walked in and there was this 6-year-old, toothless little girl with a big smiling face," he said in an interview last year. "You could tell, that kid just loves gymnastics."

Johnson says she clicked with Chow and Zhuang the moment they met. The coaches' gymnastics experience has been invaluable to her, but she says their ability to bring out the best in her has taken her to where she is today.

"They are always making sure this is what I want to do and make sure it's me making the final decision to push myself to the next level, rather than being pushed by them or someone else," she said.

"I never in a million years thought that they would be my ticket to the Olympics, but I never imagined myself getting to that level anyways."

Her coach has also been a big help to her in dealing with the excessive attention that comes with being a young gymnastics star. Chow was a co-captain of the Chinese national team and started winning gymnastics medals when he was 10, so he knows a thing or two about the pressures of stardom.

"Chow has gone through a lot of the stuff that I have, from the emotions to actual physical competitions and restrictions," Johnson said. "He knows what I am going through and he can help me through a lot of it."

Johnson has been in the national spotlight for months now. She has done the TV talk-show circuit, is endorsed by Coca-Cola and McDonald's and, as one of her country's top medal hopefuls, gets mentioned in the same breath as swimming star Michael Phelps and NBA all-star LeBron James. Needless to say, the expectations tower over the 1.43m teenager.

Assuming Johnson gets to Beijing, she will be a favorite in a variety of events. She says she enjoys balance beam the most, but all eyes will be on how she fares in the all-around, where she will attempt to become just the third US woman to win Olympic gold.

It has been a trying year for the little gymnast from America's heartland. Learning to drive, wading through high school (where she is a straight-A student) and fighting flood waters all while preparing for the gymnastics meet of her life is enough to make anyone's head spin.

"It has been just a dream come true, and an overwhelming experience," she said.

(China Daily June 20, 2008)