Shannon Miller: Jacksonville’s Gold Medal Mom

Shannon Miller remains the Most Decorated Gymnast in American History with 7 Olympic medals! She is the only American to rank among the Top 10 All-Time gymnasts and is the only female athlete to be inducted into the US Olympic Hall of Fame – Twice! (Individual (2006) and Team (2008)) She is the only US gymnast to win 2 World All-Around Titles and she is the first American female to medal in the individual all-around of a non-boycotted Olympics.

Shannon Miller Gold 1996 Olympics Atlanta (c) Dave Black All Rights Reserved www.daveblackphotography.com
Shannon Miller Gold 1996 Olympics Atlanta
(c) Dave Black All Rights Reserved
www.daveblackphotography.com

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. She then moved from Olympic athlete to advocate for the health & wellness of women & children by launching her company Shannon Miller Lifestyle: Health and Fitness for Women. SML empowers women to make their health a priority through programs, education, and awareness.

floor exercise- 1991(first) World Championships-CREDIT-Mike Proebsting
floor exercise- 1991(first) World Championships-CREDIT-Mike Proebsting

In 2011, Shannon was diagnosed with a malignant germ cell tumor, a rare form of ovarian cancer. She had the baseball-sized tumor removed successfully and followed up with 9 weeks of chemotherapy. Now cancer free, Shannon continues to be a strong advocate for awareness and early detection.

Shannon is also the author of It’s Not About Perfect: Competing for my Country, Fighting for my Life that published April 21, 2015! To learn more go to http://shannonmiller.com/.

SM-5757bweb-CREDIT_Dez_Merrow
Photo Credit: Dez Merrow

Our team had the chance to ask Shannon some questions, mom to mom. Here’s some of what she shared with us.

So how did you and your family end up in Jacksonville?
My husband, John Falconetti, was born and raised in Jacksonville. We met for the first time while playing in a charity golf tournament in town. We both love it here and are excited to raise our two children in such a great community!

Having 2 young kids, what are your favorite kid-friendly things to do in Jacksonville?
Our children both love the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens. They love riding the train and feeding the giraffes. They also enjoy MOSH and the Cummer Museum. I love taking them to the Cummer because they have the opportunity to see amazing art, but they also have a wonderful children’s area they really get to interact and create on their own. We enjoy the Avondale area where you can enjoy the nearby park then stop in for yogurt or ice cream (always a big hit!).

This is something that all moms struggle with, but how do you keep your kids active on rainy days?
Rainy days are always good days to go to the museum. They get to be out of the house and also out of the weather. Of course, it’s also nice when we can just stay home and play. These are great days to drag out a new game (or an old one that’s been forgotten). Play Play-doh and Lego’s are a big deal right now. Bowling in the hallway is always messy fun. For me, the challenge is finding that common ground between what is fun for both my 6-year-old and my 2-year-old. I try to find ways for us to play together in ways that are fun and challenging for both. I love that they want to each have a job. If they play with balloons, Rocco likes to be in charge of blowing them up, I’m in charge of tying and Sterling is in charge of tossing.

What are the most challenging things about motherhood you’ve experienced? What are the most rewarding?
There are plenty of challenges with motherhood. One that I have a difficult time with is finding that balance between wanting to protect them or help them and yet also allowing them to make mistakes. Whether it’s learning to walk or letting them work through a tough situation, it’s difficult to take a back seat even though I know that I have to do just that if I want them to learn to handle challenges on their own.

Your foundation is doing such great things here in Jacksonville, what motivated you to start it and what do you hope to accomplish with it?
John and I started the Shannon Miller Foundation in 2007. We launched SMF in an effort to help create awareness of the issue of childhood obesity which was on the rise. The foundation has now become a fantastic way to help children find their love of physical activity. Through the generous support of the community and corporate sponsors, we currently we support over 8,000 children through our SM Running Clubs here in Jacksonville. In addition, each year we hold the Shannon Miller Foundation 5k & 1 Mile Fun Run. This event (this year on May 14th) is open to the public, free for all children 14 and under, and a great way to raise funds and celebrate health and fitness.

So let’s talk about your career a little, what was your most memorable moment as a gymnast?
This is always a difficult question to answer because there were so many amazing moments. I think for me it was the first time I stood on the podium in my red, white, and blue uniform. I was a Junior competitor fresh onto the National team at age 11 or 12 yrs old. I was competing in Italy and had won my first international competition! Standing up on the platform seeing the American flag being raised and hearing my national anthem, that was the day I knew that I would work harder than ever to have the opportunity to represent my country at the Olympic Games.

Do your children know about your celebrity status? Do they ever wear your gold medals?? 🙂
My kids don’t really know anything about “celebrity.” We try to keep things as normal for them as possible. John and I are both really very low key people. I think the kids understand that I was a gymnast at one time, primarily due to photos at grandma and grandpa’s house. What I want them to know is that I had dream–and I was willing to work hard to make that dream a reality. I want them to know that I fell a few thousand times along the way, but the most important thing I did, was get back up.

Photo Credit: Leme Photography
Photo Credit: Leme Photography

We have had some photo shoots along the way so they have definitely seen the gold medals. And, yes, they both really enjoy wearing them. (laughing) I take the medals to many of my events in the hope that they will inspire others, not just to win in sports but rather to follow their passion whatever that might be. And I hope that my children will also be inspired, not to follow in my footsteps but to be hardworking and passionate about their own dream.

Learn how you can get more involved and participate in the Shannon Miller Foundation 5k & 1 Mile Fun Run

Vicky Lane
Vicky Lane is the co-owner and co-founder of Jacksonville Mom (formerly Jax Moms Blog). Since 2012, she has been overseeing the content and technical side of Jacksonville Mom. In this role, she manages over 30 writers and works closely with the managing editor to provide the most relevant content for the Jacksonville parenting community. In her previous career, Vicky obtained her Masters in Education and served as University Registrar at the University of North Florida. Wife to adoring husband John, her love for all things “Mom” began in 2010 when their son Brendan was born. Vicky chose to put her full-time career in higher education on hold to spend time with her new baby, giving her a new respect for motherhood and parenting. In June 2012, John and Vicky welcomed sweet Audrey to the family. Vicky has created an amazing circle of Moms who are continuously seeking new ways to enrich their children’s lives in and around Jacksonville. Being part of the creation of an online parenting resource and small business that serves the great Jacksonville area has allowed her to flourish in a successful career while remaining present for her family.

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