Dancing with the Stars judge Kym Johnson recalls the fall that had her rushed to hospital Kym Johnson is happy to be home after several years in America Source: Supplied SHE might be a champion, but for Dancing with the Stars judge Kym Johnson the career she loves is not without its risks, writes Darren Devlyn It's by no means the first time Dancing with the Stars judge Kym Johnson has risked her well-being for her career. As she balances precariously on the back of horses for a Melbourne Cup Carnival shoot, Johnson can't help but think about a work accident that almost left her paralysed. In 2011 on the US version of Dancing with the Stars, champion dancer Johnson was paired with Pittsburgh Steelers great Hines Ward. A horror video recording of a rehearsal shows the duo botching a complicated dance lift, in which the 93kg Ward lands heavily on Johnson, whose neck and head take the brunt of the impact. "I can't feel my arms," a panicked Johnson is heard to say before onlookers dial 911 and request an ambulance. "Having had that bad accident, it does make me really think before I do anything crazy," Johnson says now. I had said (to Ward), 'let's do something that hasn't been done before (on DWTS) ', and he said, 'if it hasn't been done before then it's probably for a reason'. So I thought we'd try something I'd seen on the World Salsa Championships in Colombia. We attempted it a couple of times in rehearsal and on the third attempt it went horribly wrong. My first instinct was to try and get up, but I had no strength. Thankfully, there were no spectacular falls during Switched On's racing carnival shoot. My inner thighs were killing me because it was hard to keep balance. I was at first worried they would take off from under me and leave me flat on the floor, but the trainer and the horses were amazing. My legs are insured for quite a bit so that part of me is covered if something goes wrong. Johnson, raised in Sydney, began her showbiz career at the age of three, training in singing, ballet, tap, jazz and acrobatics. At 13, she focused on competitive ballroom dancing, going on to become Australian Ballroom Champion and representing her country in the World 10 Dance Championships. Johnson captured the imagination of local TV audiences when she took the winner's crown with Tom Williams in season two of Dancing with the Stars. In 2006, her profile skyrocketed when she moved to Los Angeles and joined the US version of DWTS. Her first partner was outrageous talk show host Jerry Springer. Her other partners have included David Hasselhoff, Joey Fatone and David Arquette. In 2009, she won the prestigious mirror ball trophy with singer Donny Osmond. Miraculously, she overcame the near-disastrous neck injury to win again in 2011 with Ward. Johnson, who also appeared on Broadway as a cast member of Burn The Floor, says her decision to spend time back in Australia was prompted by her desire to be close to her family. "Also, I wanted to try something new, had a meeting (with DWTS Australia producers) and they were interested to see how I would go as a judge (rather than contestant)," Johnson says. After seven years in America I bit the bullet and bought a house there, but I love and miss Australia and the feeling is that it's still home for me. Being back is very grounding - staying with my family and doing normal things like cooking, cleaning, putting the washing on the line. The only thing that seems missing from Johnson's life is romance, though she's not too fussed about that while she's so preoccupied with her work. She was once engaged to cricketer Shane Watson and was later involved with her DWTS partner Williams. "I'm working really hard now and single and happy," Johnson explains. My turn will come, though I haven't met the right one yet. I was in a long relationship in the US, but it didn't work out. Dancing with the Stars, Channel 7, Tuesday, 7.30pm The Melbourne Cup, Channel 7, Tuesday from 10am