Ryan Towe Photography

It’s hard to put into words the feeling of walking into Barnes & Noble today and seeing several displays of Shawn Johnson’s new book “Winning Balance.”  As you may know, I was asked by Shawn to do a photography shoot last fall for this book with hopes of using one of the photos for the cover.  And even though I knew the purpose of the shoot, nothing was guaranteed so I tried not to get my hopes up.  When I was told she would be using one of my photos, I was in total shock and disbelief.  I literally shook with excitement for several hours after finding out! The reason for my excitement wasn’t simply because one of my photos was being published, it had a lot more to do with the fact that it was Shawn’s book.  She is such an amazing person and has such a beautiful spirit. I have a deep respect for everything she has accomplished and for everything she stands for.  I could not be any more honored to have played a small role in something so personal as her book about her journey.  So when walking into the book store today and seeing her book, I’ll admit, I was pretty choked up. I made sure to take a moment and step back and really think about how blessed I am. I cannot wait to read through her book and reflect, not just on her life, but my own.

Shawn announced her retirement from gymnastics a couple of days ago.  I’m so excited to see what she does next!!  I know she will continue to succeed and inspire others in wherever her life leads her… for now, I will be reading up about her past.

And here’s a brief video from the publisher about the book: