Gymnastics is a lot more than just sports. It allows people to express themselves, and to be an inspiration for people. It helps gymnasts to be a superstar, to be famous, to be showered in stardom and glory. And with this fame comes multi-million dollar contracts and influence. And the power to be heard, to change their lives for the better, not just for themselves but also for the people around them. The same is also true for gymnast Kiya Johnson.

Born in Dallas, Texas, Kiya Johnson’s career reached its highest point when she won the NCAA Championship with LSU in 2024. A 2-time South Eastern Conference (SEC) Floor Champion, the 22-year-old was eligible for her 6th and final year with the LSU. However, she decided to put a full stop to her gymnastics career and do something to serve her people better.

The NCAA Champion takes a bigger role for her community

Kiya Johnson has made a foray into News Broadcasting and landed the job of Production Assistant at the SEC Network of ESPN. After rounds of interviews, she has become a part of the SEC crew that will be covering college gymnastics events. And she even edited an SEC feature showing LSU’s 2024 NCAA Championship triumph.

Swapping her leotard for professional work attire, she appeared behind the newsdesk of the Sports Center as she fluently transitioned into her new job. She has been working with the team, helping with the shoots behind the scenes, and her expertise as a gymnast will be undoubtedly valuable for the broadcasters. From being a performer, Kiya will now be covering the gymnastics events of her fellow LSU college graduates, bringing it to the people of Baton Rouge.

No longer an entertainer, Kiya is in a job that brings with it responsibility, accountability, and the duty to be truthful. She chose LSU in 2020 because ‘it felt like home’. And now she has to do justice for the college which was her home for 5 years.

Walking away from gymnastics

Johnson couldn’t have asked for a better exit from LSU. She came back from an Achilles tendon injury that ended her 2023 season after just 2 meets. And she was a standout performer throughout the 2024 campaign. This included 6 individual titles with the highlight being the SEC Floor Championship for which she posted a 9.975 score.

Her season average scores were 9.873 on vault, 9.875 on bars, 9.835 on beam, 9.950 on floor, and 39.500 in the all-around. Not only this, Johnson also took part in all 16 meets and helped LSU to lift the elusive NCAA trophy. In the final against California, her scores read 9.9125 (vault), 9.8875 (uneven bars), 9.9500 (balance beam), and 9.9250 (floor).

And She has left LSU without any regrets. In an LSU gymnastics video posted on X, she said, “I’ve loved every single second of being an LSU gymnast. It’s just been everything I’ve ever dreamed of, getting to compete and wear purple and gold every Friday.”

Now the settings have changed. She will now analyze the routines of other gymnasts and try to give an objective view of their performance. But while she will miss surely being a gymnast a little, she has joined SEC Network for a cause.