How This Christian Couple Stays Connected Through Loss, Depression

Published: June 25, 2026

By Michaela Gordoni

Pro athletes Shawn Johnson East and Andrew East have been through difficult things in their 10-year marriage, but commitment is the glue that’s held them together.

Publishers have asked the parents of three to write a fluffy love-filled book about their marriage, but the couple was more interested in the reality — that life isn’t always a pretty picture.

“In our athletic careers, our marriage, our businesses, any success we’ve had has always been when we’ve truly stuck with it,” Shawn, an Olympian, told PEOPLE.

Their book is called The Courage to Commit: Embrace the Radical Power of Sticking With Something.

“When you have too many choices, very often you end up not choosing anything at all,” said Andrew. “I was talking to someone this weekend who hadn’t picked a school because he hadn’t found one that felt like home, and I said, ‘How about you choose one and make it your home?’”

This advice is on par with their never-give-up attitude.

The couple experienced several miscarriages throughout their marriage. Every one has been hard.

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“That’s not something anyone prepares you for,” Shawn said of the losses. “It’s such an emotional rollercoaster.” She also suffered postpartum depression.

Shawn previously shared that the depression strained her relationship with Andrew.

The couple work hard at their marriage — even when it’s going well.

“I got really tired of all these movies portraying romance as a fairy tale that’s so easy, and people thinking that if theirs wasn’t easy, it was wrong,” Shawn said.

They don’t hesitate to seek help from “marriage counselors” or “workshops if needed.”

Shawn said, “I think our athletic careers taught us how to be in a relationship. Gymnastics is the most humbling sport. You have to fail miserably and stand back up and try again and fail again.”

They have also have a rule for their marriage: Don’t skip date night.

“We were really nervous about the dynamics shifting in our marriage, and we were like, ‘How can we protect that?'” Shawn previously told PEOPLE. “So we put on the calendar a date night once a week, every week, and it’s kind of like a non-negotiable, just a place to reconnect and kind of get off your phones and all of these ideas.”

In addition to date nights, they also check in with each other daily and it’s benefited their marriage.

Ultimately, the couple say their attitude about commitment leaves them fulfilled.

Shawn said, “We… bettered our lives because of commitment. It’s been a really fun process.”

Shawn and Andrew show that families can grow when you have shared goals and prioritize commitments. When you sign up for something — especially marriage and parenthood — you’re in it for the long run.

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