Shawn Johnson carries torch in Calgary

American gymnast Shawn Johnson celebrated her 18th birthday on Tuesday with the Olympic torch held high in the streets of Calgary.

To view nbcolympics.com fully make sure you have Macromedia Flash Player version 7 or higher. Click here to download.

Shortly after she finished running her leg of the relay, Johnson, who won a gold and three silvers in Beijing in 2008, said there was no doubting it: Canadians are psyched for the Winter Olympics to begin.

"This definitely will rank up there with my top five Olympic memories," says Johnson.

The sights and sounds make it easy to see why.

Canadian fans lined the streets of the 1988 Winter Olympic host city decked out in red and white. Adults and children alike cheered loudly. Some of them were wearing wigs, Johnson said. Many asked her if they could touch the torch.

The relay leg kicks off the Des Moines native's first Winter Games experience with one of the greatest Olympic honors.

"It's an unbelievable feeling," she said.

Johnson says she's looking forward to visiting Vancouver next month. Apolo Ohno is among her favorite Winter Olympians, so short track is definitely high on her list of events to see. She's also hoping to catch some snowboarding action at Cypress Mountain.

"Louie Vito is a good friend," says Johnson, adding she has her fingers crossed the American snowboarder will qualify to compete in Vancouver's halfpipe.

American teen torchbearers are honored for service

Most of the 10,000 torchbearers in this year's Olympic torch relay are from the host nation. But a mixture of American teenagers, national health leaders, and Coca-Cola employees were also invited to run with the torch in recognition of their outstanding community service.

Another Olympian, two-time taekwondo gold medalist Steven Lopez, also ran with the torch. The plan to highlight volunteer work was organized by Coca-Cola, which sponsors a portion of the Olympic torch relay.

Ashlee Kephart, an 18-year old from Brooklyn Center, Minn., was among those to pull on the red mittens and receive the flame on Monday. She started her own non-profit organization, Kids For a Better World, to help her peers think globally about how to address some of the world's more pressing problems.

Several other teens have taken it upon themselves to drive a localized effort to clean up the environment or place new emphasis on maintaining a healthy lifestyle in their hometowns.

-- David Klatt