Shawn Johnson East Spotlights Power of Special Olympics Gymnastics in New Film ‘SOARING’

Before the medals, before the routines, before the bright lights of competition, there is the moment an athlete decides to keep going.

In SOARING, a new short documentary presented by RED BARON®, that moment belongs to three Special Olympics gymnasts preparing for one of the biggest stages of their lives — and to Olympic champion Shawn Johnson East, who meets them not as a distant icon, but as someone who understands the fear, joy and pressure of the sport from the inside.

The film, now streaming on YouTube and at redbaron.com/soaring, follows Paige Trombley, Elizabeth “Liz” Viele and Jenny Hill as they train for the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, taking place June 20–26 in Minneapolis and across Minnesota’s Twin Cities.

Nearly 3,000 athletes from all 50 states will compete in 16 Olympic-type sports at the University of Minnesota and the National Sports Center in Blaine, making the Games one of the largest sporting events in the U.S. this year.

Shawn Johnson East — The stars of "SOARING" | RED BARON®

Johnson East, a four-time Olympic medalist and three-time World Champion, serves as narrator and mentor in the film. But her most affecting contribution comes when she sits down with the athletes and speaks candidly about what gymnastics demands emotionally, not just physically.

“Even when I was competing it was not about success. It was not about the Olympics. It was not about becoming someone. I just wanted to have fun and I was still obsessed with that feeling,” Johnson East said. “But, it’s also a terrifying sport and the margin of error is so small if you do one thing wrong. It takes a certain mindset to drown out the doubts and what ifs and if I fall. I truly believe what separates the best is people who still love their sport.”

That belief runs through the film. Paige is working her way back from injury, trying to return to competition with the kind of resilience that makes sports stories resonate beyond the gym. Liz, who has participated in Special Olympics since the 1990s in sports including basketball, bowling, cross-country skiing and flag football, will make her USA Games debut this summer on the gymnastics bars after decades of strength training. Jenny, who is returning for her second USA Games with gold in her sights, was once nonverbal; her family credits Special Olympics with helping her find not only competitive success, but her voice.

Their stories give SOARING its emotional center. Rather than treating the athletes as symbols, the documentary lets them be competitors — nervous, determined, joyful and ambitious. The camera lingers on preparation, on encouragement, on the vulnerability of trying something difficult in front of others.

For Johnson East, that vulnerability is familiar. As a gymnast whose Olympic routines were once watched by millions, she knows what it means to carry expectation into a performance. In SOARING, she connects with Paige, Liz and Jenny through that shared understanding, speaking not just about winning but about confidence, fear and the ability to shut out doubt.

“These athletes don’t just inspire people around them, they inspire me,” Johnson East said. “Watching Paige, Liz, and Jenny chase their goals reminded me of everything I love about this sport and why it matters.”

Presented by RED BARON® as part of its partnership with the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games, SOARING arrives as a reminder that the most meaningful sports stories are not always about the final score: They are about the long road to the starting line, the people who make that road possible and the courage it takes to step onto the floor anyway.

For Paige, Liz and Jenny, the Games will be a chance to compete. For viewers, the film offers something just as valuable: a look at athletes whose journeys show why sports matter in the first place.

The 2026 Special Olympics USA Games run June 20–26 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. SOARING is streaming now on YouTube and at redbaron.com/soaring.

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