Liang Chow had been a former co-captain of China’s men’s national gymnastics team for more than a decade. He represented China all over the world and won over 30 international gold medals and national championships. Chow was also the first gymnast in the world to perform the double front release with piked position on parallel bars.

In 1990, with his athletic career over, Liang Chow came to the United States, where he was offered a scholarship and a job coaching at the University of Iowa. He barely spoke any English when he arrived. To adapt to Western culture, he westernized his name from Qiao Liang, his given name, to Liang Chow. He also went back to Beijing to marry Liwen Zhuang, who Liang met when they were both at the national team training center in Beijing. She joined him in Iowa and built a new life together. Chow spent 7 1/2 years at Iowa, but he and his wife had dreams of starting their own gym. In 1998, they moved to West Des Moines and opened Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute with hand-me-down equipment.

Here’s the mission statement for Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute

“We believe all children are precious gifts. Every child, regardless of ability, deserves the best instruction possible. It is our goal to provide a safe and loving atmosphere in which each child knows he or she is valued. We will strive to provide an environment that cultivates listening skills, confidence, self-esteem, self-discipline and responsiblity. Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute is a place where all children can feel great about their accomplishments.”

Shawn Johnson signed up as a pupil of the gym at the age of 6. For the next ten years, Liang Chow trained Johnson using both American and Chinese methods. His star athlete has shown the world what she is capable of at the Olympics. Not only is Liang coaching Shawn Johnson, but he is also the USA Olympic Women’s Gymnastics Team Head Coach. For the Olympics, he returned to his native city of Beijing for the first time since immigrating to the USA in 1991. So far, the USA Olympic Women’s Gymnastics Team has won a team silver medal and Shawn Johnson has won two silver medals one for Women’s Individual All-Around and another for Women’s Floor Exercise. Shawn still has one more shot at a medal for Women’s Beam. Shawn Johnson captured the gold medal in the Women’s Balance Beam event.

Learn more about Asian Americans at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Over a hundred volunteers helped prepare Chow’s Gymnastics and Dance Institute for the flooding Raccoon River in West Des Moines in June 2008