Johnson attended Lakeside School where she rowed for three years. In 2005 she won the 2x at the US Rowing Youth Invitational Nationals. In addition to Lakeside School, Johnson rowed for Lake Washington Rowing Club where she was coached by Kate Tytus and the famous Frank Cunningham. In the fall of 2005 she participated in the West coast USA Junior National Team High Performance Camp. In August, 2006, shel competed in the World Rowing Junior Championships in Amsterdam.

At Yale, she is a freshman in Jonathan Edwards College.