Shawn Johnson Says She 'Lost 3 Years of My Life' Watching Son Jett, 4, Ride a Dirt Bike: 'Everyone Panicked'

Hannah SacksMon, May 4, 2026 at 5:11 PM UTC

0

Shawn Johnson East and son JettCredit: shawn Johnson/instagram -

Shawn Johnson East shared her 4-year-old son Jett's first dirt bike ride, which included several chaotic and nerve-wracking moments

Jett has been riding bikes since age 1 and celebrated multiple birthdays at BMX tracks with electric motorcycles

Johnson East emphasized her family's racing background and said Jett is surpassing milestones despite the challenging first track experience

Shawn Johnson East had a moment of panic after her son took off on his first dirt bike ride.

On Sunday, May 3, the former Olympic gymnast, 34, shared a series of photos on her Instagram after her son Jett, 4, went dirt biking for the first time. In one picture, Jett could be seen wearing a matching long-sleeve shirt and pants, stepping on the back of a truck where his dirt bike was strapped on.

"I just lost 3 years of my life watching Jett ride a real track for the first time," the mom of three wrote over the image. "Thank you to @fastfarmsmx for the INSANE amount of guidance and grace you gave us!"

— sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Shawn Johnson EastCredit: Shawn Johnson East/Instagram

"We were a literal circus out there doing everything wrong we possibly could hahaha and still left with Jett saying 'I want to do that forever and ever,'" she continued. "Also, to every single parent and person out there that helped us...Thank you! The community was unmatched!"

"We have no idea what we are doing haha just trying to help this little man live out a dream," added Johnson East.

In a video shared to her Instagram, Johnson East shared a behind-the-scenes look at Jett's first ride which resulted in a moment of panic.

"First go at it. What you didn't see...1. first 30 seconds...We accidentally sent Jett out on the track with the big bikes. not kids. EVERYONE panicked," she said. "2. second attempt...in the right group...Jett goes over his handle bars and gets pinned by bike."

Advertisement

"3. next attempt...Andrew is now following on an E bike. Jett gets going the WRONG direction on a LIVE track. Andrew goes after him. Fast. Andrew falls. Jett falls. Parents everywhere panicking trying to help," continued Johnson East.

"4. Jett and Andrew both get stuck in the mud. Need help to get out. Lawwwwwdddd."

Johnson East added another video later during the day, providing context for the family outing. She explained that her son was riding a bike without training wheels at 1 and was "fluent" at an electric bike shortly after.

"Went on to have an electric bike because he was so fluent at it. It just made sense. And was fluent at that — so much so that he had this 2nd birthday, his 3rd birthday and his 4th birthday at a BMX track," she explained. "We rented the BMX track out so he could ride his electric motorcycles."

"Now, you guys are like this is too much. It's too soon. Guys. If athletics has taught us anything, it's how to gauge when your kid is ready or when a kid is ready for the next step. And he's surpassing the milestones and bars that we are putting for him," said Johnson East.

The former professional athlete went on to say that her dad has been a racer for most of his life and she has many friends in the racing world.

"I had my first motorcycle when I was like 6 and learned how to ride everything before then. So again, this is not abnormal timing for a kid to start racing or to start riding a dirt bike," she said. "Today, on the other hand, was just a little bit of a crazy start because we just got thrown in and that's how you do it. Trial by fire, pretty much."

"And he's got all the precautionary stuff. His bike is throttled down, he's very good on it. He's just never been on a track before," said Johnson East.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Sports”