Hometown: Scottsdale, AZ
Height: 5' 8"
Birth Date: September 18, 1967

With her impressive athletic and scholarly achievements, Gea Johnson can certainly be considered one of the world's greatest female athletes. Yet, more important to her than all these achievements, is her loving family. Gea grew up, primarily in Fremont, Ca., as the eldest of five children in a single parent home. Gea has always helped her mother raise and support the family. Johnson values the family lessons of being charitable and selfless.

Despite numerous surgeries and adversities that threatened Johnson's ability to ever compete again, she never gave up. Gea Johnson's life is the story of the power of the human spirit and perseverance! For more than fifteen years Gea has believed in a dream - an Olympic dream.

Gea became an unwilling champion by the challenges she has endured; she now wears the title that so many have bestowed upon her with pride. Gea sustained a career-ending knee injury and endured five open knee surgeries, herniated two discs in her neck, had major foot surgery, and suffered severe nerve damage in her leg. ......At the 2002 Winter Olympics, she sustained another career-ending injury, rupturing her hamstring which detached from the bone, causing incomprehensible pain during the competition. The severity of the resulting surgery demonstrated the resolve of a warrior as she went on to overcome yet another set back.

Gea, in tandem with world renowned Dr. Richard Emerson, founder of Sport Excel, a haven for elite athletes, have worked together to bring out the best in Gea and triumph over injuries and setbacks which were considered impossible. Most athletes would have retired long ago, not Gea, she walked in the opening ceremonies of the 2002 Winter Olympic Games with her head held high and remains persistent on her journey to another Olympics in 2010. This continues to be the trail of a true champion.

"A champion doesn't always win with ease. A true champion has faced adversity, tasted failure, seen disappointment, and yet still rises to the challenge on every front, emerging victorious with a bold determination to share the process with others."

-Gea Johnson