Shannon Miller

Shannon Miller remains one of the most decorated gymnasts in history with 7 Olympic medals. (2 gold, 2 silver, 3 bronze) She is the only female athlete to be inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame – Twice! (Individual (2006) and Team (2008))

Shannon has won an astounding 59 International and 49 National competition medals.  Over half of these have been gold. She is the first US gymnast to win 2 World All-Around Titles. Her tally of five medals (2 silver, 3 bronze) at the 1992 Olympics was the most medals won by a US athlete in any sport. At the ’96 Games, she led the “Magnificent Seven” to the US Women’s first ever Team Gold and for the first time for any American gymnast, she captured Gold on the Balance Beam.

After retiring from Olympic competition, Shannon received her undergraduate degrees in marketing and entrepreneurship from the University of Houston and her law degree from Boston College.

Shannon remains a part of the gymnastics and Olympic communities as an analyst and commentator.

In 2010, Shannon launched her company devoted to helping women make their health a priority. She continues to travel the country as a highly sought-after motivational speaker on topics ranging from The Gold Medal Mindset to cancer and survivorship to the importance of health and fitness.

In January of 2011, Shannon was diagnosed with a rare form of ovarian cancer. She had the baseball sized tumor removed successfully and followed up with an aggressive chemotherapy regimen. Shannon has remained open and public about her diagnosis and treatment and continues to empower women to make their health a priority. Shannon is currently cancer-free and continues to be a strong advocate for early detection, awareness, research and survivorship.

Shannon’s book, It’s Not About Perfect: Competing for My Country and Fighting for My Life, is her inspirational memoir written to encourage and empower others to break through and overcome their own personal challenges.

Shannon is a mother of two, cancer survivor, author and she will always be known for her focus and determination as the most decorated gymnast in US history for over 2 decades!

The Gold Medal Mindset: Motivation, Goal Setting & Success

Shannon discusses how the gold medal mindset leads to victory on the competition floor, in the boardroom, and in our personal lives. With seven Olympic medals, Shannon utilizes her critical insight to share what it takes to be a winner: the importance of goal setting, leadership, maintaining a positive attitude, and teamwork. Through her Olympic and personal experiences, Shannon explains ways we can overcome even the most difficult obstacles standing in the way of our success. While she may not have been the most talented, flexible, or even the strongest athlete, Shannon Miller was able to utilize these concepts to become The Most Decorated Olympic Gymnast in United States history! Your audience will leave empowered to seal the deal with that next client, work together for a positive outcome, and understand the steps it takes to be a successful leader in both work and life.

Gold Medal Advice for a Fit & Healthy Lifestyle

While much of the world is telling you, “Don’t eat this. Don’t do that,” gold medal Olympian and health advocate, Shannon Miller, shares her message of “everything in moderation”. Most of us do not have 4 hours a day to work out, but that doesn’t mean we should to give up. Eating healthy doesn’t mean giving up everything that you love. Shannon shares the importance of making small changes that have a big impact on your overall health. Through her own experience with weight gain and low self-esteem following her retirement from competition, this Olympian and mother of two, found her way back to a healthy moderation. Your audience will leave with specific goals and motivated to take the next step in their own healthy lifestyle.

Cancer & Survivorship

We will all be touched by cancer at some point- whether it is you, a loved one, a friend, or co-worker. The cancer journey is a unique one for each of us, but it is one that we can follow with dignity and strength. Shannon shares her own cancer journey and how she used lessons learned through her Olympic training to forge ahead in the midst of the most challenging obstacles. She speaks about the importance of caregivers and the incredible role they play. Through her story, your audience will learn the how importance it is to set goals and maintain a positive attitude, the importance of early detection and why “making your health a priority” is a lesson for all of us. Shannon Miller empowers each of us to take control of our own health and arms us with specific ways we can do just that.

Shannon was such an asset to our event….Her personal story connected with the people attending the event as she shared her fears and her strengths during her recent battle against Ovarian cancer. Shannon’s message to keep your eye on the larger goal, but focus on what you can do day by day, or even hour by hour resonated with all the people who have been touched by this disease. So many attending the Soroptimist Vicki Linn Walk commented that Shannon was warm and approachable. and they were in awe at her accomplishments. I was especially touched by a young women who drove several hours, hoping to meet her gymnastic idol. Shannon took the time to speak to her and allowed a special moment for pictures. She was also generous to everyone who wanted a picture, autograph and even allowed others to try on her gorgeous gold medals. We are so grateful that Shannon was with us for that special day and she certainly made a great contribution to the success of the Vicki Linn Walk for Ovarian Cancer Awareness. — Andrea De Palatis, The Vicki Linn Walk for Ovarian Cancer Awareness

I can’t begin to tell you how outstanding she was. What really set the stage for her presentation was her video on her winning the Gold! You could hear a pin drop when she spoke. When her petite little frame stepped up to the podium, no one had any idea she was going to blow them away with her amazing story. She brought everyone to tears. So many of the doctors came up to me and said, “Sandy, do you remember when she did that vault? I remember it, and I remember praying for her to make it!” She touched the hearts of everyone in attendance. With her struggles to win the Gold at the Olympics, she was being prepared to face other challenges in her life. God gave her the strength, courage, hope and love to face any adversity that would come her way in life. She shared her story so that those in the audience who thought she was just an “Olympic Champion” knew she was much more than that. She is the bright and shining star that has endured more than her share of pain and suffering. Her encouragement to others to stay healthy, eat healthy, and to exercise to stay fit is crucial, because we never know what the future holds for any of us. Her story of strength, courage, hope and never giving up, gave to each of us there the example and encouragement for each of us to follow. I still receive compliments on her presentation and for reaching out to her to speak to our physicians and their wives. Thank you, Shannon, for sharing your evening with us. You are truly an amazing young lady! — Sandy Deeba, CME Manager for the Oklahoma State Medical Association

The faculty, students, alumni, and executives who participated in Talks@Columbia sincerely appreciated Shannon’s remarks and expertise. Her passion, drive, professionalism, and generosity of spirit typified a truly engaging experience for our community of learners. — Jason Wingard, PhD; School of Professional Studies, Columbia University

Shannon Miller has a very powerful story to tell and has a true passion for Women’s health. After listening to her you feel an urgency to pick up the phone and call your doctor to schedule a routine appointment. Shannon inspires you and lets you know that it is O.K. to take care of yourself first. — Coosa Valley Medical Center, Sylacauga, AL