The Seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson and former model Chandra Janway have been married since 2004. The couple first met in 2002, courtesy of Johnson’s teammate Jeff Gordon, while on a trip to New York City. A year later, Johnson found himself far too deep in love with Janway and proposed to her in Beaver Reek, Colorado where they were vacationing. Subsequently, they got married on December 11, 2004, at St. Barts, an island in the Caribbean.
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Before their meeting, Janway had graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in business communications. She made the move to New York to pursue a career in modeling and had been working for the modeling agency Wilhelmina when she was introduced to Johnson. After their marriage, the couple began the Jimmie Johnson Foundation in 2006 to help underprivileged children achieve their dreams.
The foundation’s mission reads “dedicated to assisting children, families, and communities in need throughout the United States.” Janway currently serves as its vice president and oversees its operations. The organization has raised over $13 million to date to help fund various other non-profits.
Family fun in Texas pic.twitter.com/bTM1UVCbNX
— Jimmie Johnson (@JimmieJohnson) March 22, 2022
Their first child, Genevieve Mari Johnson, was born on July 10, 2010. Their second daughter, Lydia Norris Johnson was born on September 6, 2013. Janway is a huge supporter of Johnson’s racing career and could regularly be spotted cheering for him from the stands. Of his two children, Lydia is the one with an affinity for racing.
The icon said in a 2021 interview, “Lydia has a little desire to race and will ride anything until it’s out of gas. And it’s great to just have a Sunday off. Load up the bikes and pack a cooler and go to the track and ride for 4 or 5 hours, come home, get the pressure washer out, clean the bikes, and just hang with her.”
Tragedy struck the Johnson family in 2023
Things were going great for the Johnsons but then tragedy struck the family. Just last year, Johnson’s in-laws and nephew were found dead in their house in Oklahoma on June 27, 2023. In what is believed to be a case of murder-suicide, the “suspect” was Janway’s mother Terry (67). Later on, speaking about the incident in an interview, Johnson thanked fans for their support of his family and gave an update on the situation.
He said, “We’re managing the best we can, and that’s really all you can do, so thank you for the support and the continued support.” Janway had earlier lost her brother Jordan (27) in 2014 when a skydiving accident took his life. The 2024 Daytona 500 marked Johnson’s return to a Cup Series race since his withdrawal from the 2023 Chicago Street Course event owing to the tragedy.
