Hines Ward and Kym Johnson rise above injury
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Kym and Hines last night on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." -
Kym Johnson and Hines Ward exchange a hug as host Tom Bergeron looks on. -
Are these football moves? Hines Ward and Kym Johnson on the dance floor. -
Kym Johnson and Hines Ward focused on their dance. -
From left, Chelsea Kane, Mark Ballas, Kym johnson and Hines Ward. -
Kym Johnson and Hines Ward. -
Hines Ward and Kym Johnson show their stuff. -
Kym Johnson and Hines Ward. -
Kym Johnson and Hines Ward. -
Kym Johnson and Hines Ward show their wide smiles on the dance floor.
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No pain, no gain is the old cliche that could have been called Kym Johnson's philosophy on week 9 of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars." Despite suffering a neck injury that rushed her to the hospital last week, she and Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward turned out two perfect scores during Monday night's competition.
The couple headed into semifinals week with a do-or-die mentality that resulted in Ms. Johnson pulling out all the stops -- including lifts she had never tried before.
Rehearsal footage revealed that her daredevil strategy took a turn for the worse when Mr. Ward lost his balance during a lift that required him to swing Ms. Johnson between his legs and pull her up. He tumbled on top of her, crushing her upside down on her neck on the floor.
"I can't feel my arms," Ms. Johnson said as she lay on her side, while Mr. Ward held an ice pack on the nape of her neck. But she appeared more concerned about the couple's future in the competition than herself.
"It's my fault," she said, as she waited for paramedics. She was whisked to the hospital but was later cleared to keep dancing.
Little evidence of injury was apparent in the couple's trio of dances, which kicked off with a seductive Argentine tango that landed the pair its first perfect score.
While Ms. Johnson clearly toned down the tricky lifts, and appeared to baby her neck a bit, the routine was technically strong and did not skimp on content typical to the Argentine tango such as loads of swift and sharp intertwining footwork. There were some lifts sprinkled throughout, but none that tossed Ms. Johnson around too severely.
The performance brought audiences to their feet and Ms. Johnson and Mr. Ward to tears. The judges also were moved -- and impressed, awarding the three 10s.
PG VIDEORound two took a touching turn, opening with a package about Mr. Ward's mother moving to America to help him escape the racism he endured in Korea due to his mixed race. Steelers standouts Troy Polamalu and Jerome Bettis commented on the challenges he's overcome and the can-do spirit that has kept him going.
First Published May 17, 2011 12:00 am
