Ginger Joy Johnson’s path to becoming America’s 2024 laughter champion was as unconventional as it was transformative. The 45-year-old Pacific Grove native, now a massage therapist and life coach in Monterey, found laughter as a means of healing after a painful divorce. Her spiritual journey, which included studying with a guru in Taos, New Mexico, and traveling to India in 2019 to learn “laughter yoga,” led her to the unique practice of using laughter to enhance both physical and mental health.
In 2022, after returning to Monterey to care for an ailing relative, Johnson co-hosted the first American Laughter Championship and became a competitor herself. The event, held over Zoom, challenges participants to showcase contagious and diabolical laughs, with rounds judged by viewers and fellow contestants. After winning the American title in 2024, Johnson went on to place third in the World Laughing Championship.
Laughter, Johnson says, has been a therapeutic force in her life, helping her overcome the emotional toll of her divorce. Changing her name to Ginger after her separation symbolized a fresh start, reflecting her playful, joyful spirit. As she puts it, “When you laugh with a group of people for a while, the burdens are not as heavy.”
Source: Monterey County Weekly
