You probably have already heard of the Romanian Olympian Nadia Comăneci, and if not, then this is a story you want to hear. Her name became known world-over when she broke records with her performance in the Olympic Games, held in Canada in 1976. But the story of how she got to such a professional status as an athlete, and what happened after the Games, is less well-known.
It All Began When…
Nadia Elena Comăneci was born on November 12th 1961, in Onesti, Romania. She was the first child to her Orthodox Christian parents, Gheorghe and Stefania Comăneci, who were overjoyed at the new arrival of their daughter. Soon, their second child, a son and brother to Nadia, would be joining the family too.
It All Began When…
Nadia and Hope
Nadia is quite a widespread name in Romania, but what inspired Nadia’s parents to choose this name was actually a movie they watched together while pregnant with Nadia, and the protagonist of the film was called “Nadya”, which also means “hope”. They just didn’t yet realize how appropriate this would be.
Nadia and Hope
Boundless Energy
As a young girl, little Nadia was an energetic, spirited child. She enjoyed jumping all around the house, including on the household furniture! Full of beans, she needed an outlet for all her energy, so her parents made the decision to send her to gymnastics classes. They were yet to find out how much this decision would impact all of them.
Boundless Energy
Having Ambition
Nadia was ambitious and determined as a child, she knew she wanted to make a name for herself. She once said of herself as a child “I was driven towards something I wanted to be the best at, and I didn’t know exactly what it was, it happened to be gymnastics”.
Having Ambition
Young Talent
When Nadia was six years old she was playing with a friend in the kindergarten playground. The two were absorbed in their games, and while Nadia was doing cartwheels, they didn’t pay any attention to the two adults watching them. These two adults were actually gymnastic coaches, Márta and Béla Károlyi, a married couple who were at the playground that day in order to scout for new talent. They spotted Nadia and followed her to her classroom to try and convince her to join their gym.
Young Talent
Béla Károlyi
Béla Károlyi has always been a big sports fan, and began his sporting career as a hammer-thrower, becoming a champion in the sport. Later, he decided to make the move into coaching and began coaching junior boxers. It was only when he met his wife, Márta Károlyi that he decided to become involved in gymnastics, and they often scouted for fresh talent like Nadia, together.
Béla Károlyi
Diligence
Márta and Béla successfully recruited Nadia, and Béla and Nadia began working together. Nadia was extremely driven towards success – she wanted to win. She trained for three hours every day, surprising Márta and Béla with her outstanding form and growing talent. She was unstoppable – it didn’t matter how many times she failed to do an exercise, she kept on trying until she perfected it.
Diligence
Good Times and Hard Times
Her coaches’ demanding training regime was difficult but it paid off. By the time she was just eight years old, Nadia Comăneci got a place at the Romanian National Junior Championship. She managed to finish in 13th place, which is quite something for someone so young. But Nadia didn’t quite see it like that, she wanted to win. She went home and worked harder, trained harder, until the Championship came around the following year. This time, she got first place.
Good Times and Hard Times
Practice Makes Perfect
Béla Károlyi was a big believer in commitment and diligence, so he was overjoyed by the fact that his protégé felt the same way. By the time Nadia was thirteen years old, she and Béla were training together six days a week, for eight hours each day. Nothing was going to stop them achieving their dreams of success.
Practice Makes Perfect
Her Decision
Years later, after winning the Olympics, Nadia was once asked if she felt that the Károlyis’ had pushed too hard, if their exercise regime was too intense and demanding for such a young child – she responded that it was always her choice to always go the extra mile with whatever exercise Béla asked her to practice. She was set on being the very best.
Her Decision
A Star in Europe
The European Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships, held in Skien, Norway, in 1975, are where our burgeoning gymnast made her first appearance in the wider European scene. Only 13 years old, Nadia was making headlines worldwide. In every competition, except one, Nadia won gold in first place. And in that one that she didn’t – she took home silver.
A Star in Europe
American Success
The next year, in 1976, Nadia Comăneci ventured out of Europe for the first time, to fly to the other side of the world to compete in the American Cup in the United States. The American Cup was preparatory for the upcoming Summer Olympic Games set for later that same year in Montreal. When Nadia earned a set of perfect scores in her performance, it was evident worldwide that this was one heck of a talented child!
American Success
Two Champions
At the end of the extraordinary excellence demonstrated at the competition, it was of course, award time. One male gymnast and one female gymnast were to be awarded a silver cup. Romanian contestant Nadia Comăneci was the silver champion for the female category, and American Bart Conner was the male athlete to receive the silver cup. This was the first time Nadia and Bart met each other, but not the last.
Two Champions
A Kiss
Photographers and reporters were huddling around the two athletes after they stepped off the podium with their trophies, when one of them shouted: “Kiss for the camera, please!” Bart Conner was just 18 years old and young Nadia was still only 14, so although both felt slightly awkward they were still euphoric with their achievements; Bart bent over and lightly kissed young Nadia’s cheek for the cameras. The photograph made such a cute picture that Nadia became an American sweetheart, loved by all.
A Kiss
Summer Olympics
The Montreal Olympic Games were just four months after the American Cup, in 1976. After her performance at the Games, there could be no doubt in anybody’s mind that Nadia Comăneci had arrived. Leaving spectators and judges absolutely amazed with her stunning performances, she was conquering the scene. She earned herself perfect scores of 10. In fact, she earned herself six perfect scores of 10, shattering world records, making history as the first gymnast to have ever earned so many consecutive perfect scores in the history of the Olympics.
Summer Olympics
Not all Smooth Sailing
This was such an unexpected outcome, unheard of in Olympic history, that it wasn’t all smooth sailing. The company that made the digital scoreboards that were used by the Olympics at the time, Omega SA, had failed to expect such dazzling scores and had not programmed the boards to display “10” for the score. So, when Nadia finished her perfect performance, the board simply displayed “1.00”. Everyone – including Nadia, her coach, and the crowd – stared in puzzlement at the terrible score.
Not all Smooth Sailing
A Perfect Score
Initially, when the score came up, Béla Károlyi, Nadia’s coach, was fuming! Sure it must be a mistake or that there must have been a penalty that he may not have noticed, he recalled, “I said ‘holy cow, they deducted something over here, there is a deduction, there is a penalty,’ I was on my way to the jury, then I heard, ‘Ladies and gentlemen, first time in the history of the sport, a perfect 10 in the Olympic Games”.
A Perfect Score
Making History
Everyone went wild for Nadia’s history-making perfect score, and fans wanted to know how she felt about it. Nadia said that she prefers not to check the scores immediately when she competes, and she certainly didn’t know that she was making history with her 10.
Making History
Always the Champion
Not only did Nadia achieve record-breaking scores in the Games in 1976, but she was also only 14 years old at the time! Which makes this record even more exceptional. Especially, as since then, the Olympic committee has ruled that competitors must be at least 16 years old to enter, so Nadia will remain the youngest athlete to have ever earned such scores in the Olympic Games.
Always the Champion
Nailing It
After her fabulous successes in the competition, another awards ceremony followed. As she collected her medals at the ceremony, an official asked the 14-year-old athlete what it felt like to be making history. While everyone held their breath, young Nadia answered “It’s okay. I’ve gotten 19 golds in other competitions.” Well, that’s that then.
Nailing It
New Girl On The Block
Olga Korbut, an athlete from the Former Soviet Union became the world’s favorite with her impeccable performance at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany. But even Korbet could see that there was a new girl on the scene, and it was time to put pride aside.
New Girl On The Block
New Queen
Nadia had no idea what was awaiting her on her return to Bucharest from Montreal. When she and her team arrived in Bucharest, more than 10,000 people turned out to welcome their new national hero home. Nadia was actually so overwhelmed for a moment, by the enormous, loud and jolly crowd that she actually went back on to the plane.
New Queen
National Hero
Romania was overjoyed at Nadia Comăneci’s achievements while representing her country, and on her return home, she was welcomed as a National Hero. No other Romanian athlete had achieved such gigantic feats and achieved what she had. Nadia was awarded the “Sickle and Hammer Gold Medal” by Nicolae Ceaușescu, the country’s president at the time, indicating her as a “Socialist Labor” hero. There were rumors that her family got an entire month off work, and that they had received a car from the government.
National Hero
Nadia Comăneci Devotion
Cinematographer Robert Riger compiled a video montage of Nadia’s 1976 Olympic Games performance, accompanied by a 1971 hit song “Cotton’s Dream”, which was composed by Barry De Vorzon and Perry Botkin, Jr. The song soon became synonymous with Nadia Comăneci and her outstanding achievements, which also pushed the song up the charts, and sooner or later became known as “Nadia’s Theme”.
Nadia Comăneci Devotion
Athlete Of The Year
Renaming a song in her name was just the start of it all. Newsweek Magazine devoted a whole cover page to Nadia with the caption “A Star is Born”. She was called “Female Athlete of the Year” by the Associated Press, and she was awarded the title of “Overseas Sports Personality of the Year” by the BBC. The 14-year-old had become a worldwide star.
Athlete Of The Year
No Space For Space
Considering that there had recently been a space mission to Mars which had caused a buzz world over, Nadia got a Time Magazine cover dedicated to her, with only a small section devoted to the Mars mission.
No Space For Space
Named After Nadia
Nadia didn’t just perfect the classic gymnastic moves – she also invented some of her own! The “Comăneci salto” and the “Comăneci dismount”.are some of the moves that prove that Nadia definitely had an impact in the gymnastic sport.
Named After Nadia
Rocky Days
Everything seemed like smooth sailing for Nadia. Her career had never been better, and she enjoyed worldwide popularity. Then, out of nowhere, she was blindsided. Her parents decided that it was time to get divorced. Suddenly, Nadia and her brother were tossed into an impossible situation.
Rocky Days
Losing Béla
Sadly, this seemed to just be the beginning of some bad luck. Romania’s sporting authority decided that Béla Károlyi, Nadia’s coach since she was 6 years old, should be serving the country by coaching another up and coming young athlete. Nadia was devastated.
Losing Béla
Overwhelmed
Suddenly, Nadia had a lot of new kinds of stress growing in her life. She was only 15 years old by now, the world had put her in the spotlight, and she was not equipped to deal with the painful family and professional changes all at once. She stopped training, she lost her motivation. It became so difficult she even ended up in the hospital with the symptoms of extremely high-stress levels.
Overwhelmed
Keeping To Herself
There had been talk about Nadia being “an emotionless gymnast”, because of her deeply concentrated determination for success. But of course, this was not true! And inevitably she was very emotional. But she was a young star who had become accustomed to “keeping everything inside”, as coach Béla Károlyi said of her. This focused determination had suited everyone fine, so no one had encouraged young Nadia to express her feelings, and now she was too young to cope with it all and quite overwhelmed.
Keeping To Herself
Time To Reboot
It wasn’t long before the Romanian sporting officials started to realize the magnitude of their decision to remove Béla as Nadia’s coach, and the effect that was having on their young national hero, and they reversed the decision, reinstating Béla as her coach once again. Although the reunion was a teary, but happy one, there was not much time to relax as the next Olympic Games, planned to take place in Moscow, were not far off.
Time To Reboot
Unafraid
Sports injuries are common and dangerous, and can happen anytime, anywhere. While competing in the World Championships in 1979, Nadia cut her wrist on a metal grip buckle and got rushed to hospital. The medical staff advised her to refrain from competing in the meanwhile. Nadia, however, defied the doctors and returned to compete, and successfully secured the first gold for her team.
Unafraid
Moscow Summer Olympics
By the time the Nadia and Béla were reunited as a team, there was not a lot of time left to train and prepare for the Olympics in Moscow. They had five weeks, and they gave it their all, training day-in day-out for the entirety of that time. Not to mention, these Olympic Games would turn out to be quite controversial. For example, as a protest against the USSR’s actions in Afghanistan, The USA refused to send a team to compete in the Games. On a more personal level, the Russians were afraid of Nadia Comăneci.
Moscow Summer Olympics
Focused As Ever
There were many potential factors that could have got in the way of Nadia’s focus during the competition, but she was as focused as ever, determined and cool, she kept it together. The world’s spotlight was back on her, drunk Russian soldiers heckling her from the crowd, shouting “Fall, Nadia! Fall!”, as well as knowing that she hadn’t had the ideal amount of time to train before the massive competition… None of that was to stop Nadia Comăneci from winning two gold and two silver medals.
Focused As Ever
Tallying up the Marks
As before, Nadia gave an outstanding performance, blowing everyone away with her grace and precision. Yet, trouble lay ahead when the judges took a remarkably long time to deliver her scores, and when they were finally revealed, Bela Károlyi was outraged. He was sure that they did not match up to her performance. Feeling the marks were not fair, Bela got upset with the judges, and his outburst was captured on television and broadcast across the world. Some Romanian officials felt that he had humiliated them, and therein began some major fallouts between Bela and the Romanian government.
Tallying up the Marks
Psychologically Prepared, Not Emotionless
Despite the Moscow scandal still being fresh, Nadia won a gold medal with no disputing how much she deserved it. There was a fresh feeling of respect and admiration from her competitors and fans alike. A USSR gymnast, Nellie Kim, embraced her on the podium, congratulating her, also stating that contrary to the myth that arose; Nadia is not without feeling and emotions in any way, but rather “She was psychologically prepared, not emotionless”.
Psychologically Prepared, Not Emotionless
“Nadia 81”
In 1981 the Romanian Gymnastics Federation decided to set up an official tour to promote Nadia across eleven cities in the US, called “Nadia 81”, to be led by her coaches Márta and Béla Károlyi. On the final day of the tour, Márta and Béla, along with the Romanian team choreographer, Géza Pozsár, defected to the United States to escape the increasingly unsettling feeling they had in Romania at the time. Béla had hinted to Nadia during the tour that they may do so, and even suggested she might join them. But she didn’t have a problem with Romania at the time, and wanted to go home.
“Nadia 81”
Locked In
The coaches’ defection instilled a fear in the Romanian government that they could lose their star athlete should she wish to join them. They took measures that would ultimately limit her freedom and privacy; putting in place a travel ban for the gymnast, as well as monitoring and screening her phone calls and letters. Only when she was competing was she allowed to leave the country.
Locked In
Quitting The Floor
In 1984 Nadia made the radical move to retire from gymnastics, but she didn’t leave the field altogether, becoming a coach with the Romanian gymnastics team. She didn’t yet realize this would make her face another difficult situation with another coach.
Quitting The Floor
The New Girl
In 1984, Nadia went to the Olympic Games with her country’s team, only to be completely shocked to see her former coach, Béla Károlyi, on the other side of the mats, as the U.S.’s team gymnastics coach. Also, there was Mary Lou Retton, Béla’s new protégé. Of course, it was a little upsetting for Nadia to see him like this, and training someone else, but she knew he was doing what he should be doing.
The New Girl
Mary Lou Retton
Mary Lou Retton was born on January 24th, 1968. She had developed a love and admiration for gymnastics, which she credited to Nadia’s Montreal Olympic performances in 1976. So much so, that when she learned that Márta and Béla Károlyi, Nadia’s former coaches, had moved to Houston, Texas – she followed in moved too and asked to be trained by them.
Mary Lou Retton
A New Star
It was not long before Mary Lou Retton’s training with the Károlyis’ began to pay off, becoming the first female not from Eastern Europe to ever win the individual all-around gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Not only that, but she was competing against the Romanian competitor Ecaterina Szabo…
A New Star
Strict Orders
Nadia was mesmerized by the American team throughout the Olympic Games, though it wasn’t Mary Lou Retton she couldn’t keep her eyes off, it was her former coach that was giving her heartache. Her mentor for so many years, where he was in front of her, yet she was under strict orders and had been forbidden to talk to him at all. She started feeling the need to get out of what had become a very restrictive Romania for her.
Strict Orders
A Glimmer Of Hope
Only in 1987 did Nadia get her first glimmer of hope to escape her suffocating reality. While at a party, she met an intriguing character by the name of Constantin Panait. Panait claimed to have become a US citizen after defecting from Romania to the United States. Nadia did not yet what kind of impact Panait was to have on her life.
A Glimmer Of Hope
One Opportunity
Nadia wrote in her memoir about Panait he seemed like “the real deal. He wasn’t bluffing. There were six other Romanians who planned to trust him with their lives”. It was an extremely risky business, to attempt to escape from Romania. In 1989, mostly by foot and at night, they escaped through Hungry, and then Austria, then flying through Canada before finally arriving in America. Nadia wasn’t to know, but just a few weeks after they arrived in the US, the Romanian government collapsed with the Revolution.
One Opportunity
Painful Farewells
Even more devastating than leaving her home country without the prospect of return, was having to part with her family. Nadia even feared for her mum’s health should she leave, but her brother reassured her and encouraged her not to be afraid and to complete her plans of leaving.
Painful Farewells
Nearly Fatal
The journey was extremely risky. On one occasion, while attempting to cross over into Hungry, a Hungarian patrol noticed them, and they were questioned. It could have had a very distressing outcome for the group, but luckily when the soldiers recognized Nadia they let them go without further questions.
Nearly Fatal
A Mixed Reception
When the young Olympic star arrived in the United States, there was a lot of media coverage of her arrival. Journalists relentlessly pursued Nadia with questions of her plans. Nadia, who was known for keeping her cool in stressful situations, answered with broken English and a smile. Mostly America was pleased that Nadia had was there, but her arrival was cast in shadow as rumors began spreading…
A Mixed Reception
Secrecy
Constantin Panait was a married man, and the two of them were staying in hotels and motels together, rumors began spreading like wildfire tarring Nadia as a homewrecker. On one occasion when a reporter commented that Panait was married, Nadia responded with “so what?” She later said this was due to her poor command of the English language. Nadia said that Panait had told her to come and live with his wife and children on arrival, and she accepted, accepting his participation in her future as fair payment for risking it all to get her out of Romania. It was to become apparent, however, that Panait kept Nadia isolated, capitalizing on her lack of spoken English.
Secrecy
Another Surveillance
Béla Károlyi immediately reached out to Nadia when he got word of her arrival in the US, as did quite a number of others. But no one heard from her. This was strange, she was in a new land far from home, surely she would want to see her old coach? But she never returned anyone’s calls. Because she never got them. Constantin Panait had taken the place of the Romanian government in screening her calls, ensuring she didn’t receive them.
Another Surveillance
Supportive Friendship
It was only when Nadia went with Panait to visit some friends in Canada that she was able to escape this closed reality Panait had created. They were staying at Alexandru Stefu’s, a friend from Romania, house. When he finally got her alone he asked what she had planned for her future. She told him she was actually thinking of staying in Montreal but hadn’t told Panait yet. She also opened up about the fact that it was because of him that she hadn’t been in touch with anyone, and realized that he was limiting her communication. The next day when she woke up, Panait was gone. Turns out Stefu confronted him and he fled. Despite all of this, Nadia is still grateful to Panait for helping her escape Romania.
Supportive Friendship
Bart Conner’s Reappearance
During this time, Bart Conner, the US gymnast, had also been trying to contact Nadia, but to no avail as Panait was not passing on the messages, he was also worried about the bad press Nadia was getting. But when Conner heard that Nadia was to appear on The Pat Sajak Show, he knew he had to see her again.
Bart Conner’s Reappearance
A Lasting Impression
Just to remind you, Bart and Nadia met at the American Cup in 1976, and again on her Nadia 81 American Tour. They had entered American hearts when Bart planted that small kiss on Nadia’s cheek for the cameras.
A Lasting Impression
Going All Out
Bart spoke to the producer of the show, and organized a flight to arrive in Los Angeles in time for her interview. He like the idea of surprising her, saying “I might as well go out there and say, ‘Hey, Nads’”.
Going All Out
A Reunion
It was a wonderful surprise and they were both happy to see each other again, and they talked about the bad press she had been getting and Nadia explained that it wasn’t all as it seemed, but didn’t open up fully about her situation. Bart gave Nadia his phone number to be in touch, but at the time, Nadia was shy and also didn’t know who to trust.
A Reunion
Just Friends
Nadia remembered Bart as a warm, friendly guy, bouncing around the tour bus in 1981 talking to everyone, so she didn’t read too much into his attempts at contact. She had yet to realize that Bart was actually developing a more intimate fondness for her.
Just Friends
More Than Friends
In 1990, and already in Montreal, Nadia was surprised to learn that Stefu had invited Bart to her 29th birthday party. They developed a long-distance friendship, and when Stefu died unexpectedly in a scuba diving incident, Nadia moved to Oklahoma to help Bart with his school. Over time they realized they were falling for each other, and were together for four years until they got engaged.
More Than Friends
An Emotional (Re)Union
Nadia and Bart decided to get married in Romania. But Nadia was logically rather skeptical as to how she would be welcomed in Romania after her leaving in such a way to the United States. But she needn’t have worried as she was welcomed by 10,000 fans who adoration and admiration for her had not withered. Seeing her home country again after so many years and such a heartfelt homecoming all made Nadia feel very emotional.
An Emotional (Re)Union
An Entire Nation
Nadia and Bart got married in 1996 in a televised ceremony for the entire nation to watch. It was a beautiful wedding, and they even had their reception in the former royal palace!
An Entire Nation
The Next Generation
In 2006, ten years after they got married, Nadia gave birth to their son Dylan Paul, and the happy couple was gradually starting their family life in the USA. When Nadia was asked in an interview once where she felt more at home, in Romania or in America, she responded that “I am a Romanian, but I am adopted by America”.
The Next Generation
A Secret Wonder
When little Dylan was growing up, he thought his parents were the same as everyone else’s, it was only when he grew up that he realized they had a world-famous story. One day, on returning from school Dylan asked his mom in innocence, if she knew that she was famous. Nadia responded, laughing, that yes, she did know. She then showed him photographs of Bart and herself at various gymnastic competitions.
A Secret Wonder
Full Circle
In 2016, when Dylan was ten years old, Nadia shared her joy with the world via Twitter, posting a picture of the ten-year-old with Martha Károlyi, her beloved former coach Béla Károlyi’s wife. She captioned the picture with the comment that this meeting gave her the feeling of her life has come “full circle”. She wouldn’t be where she is today without the influence of the Károlyis’ in her life.
Full Circle
Coming Together
Also in 2016, another photo was uploaded onto social media that really made fans happy. Mary Lou Retton uploaded a picture of Béla Károlyi, Nadia, and herself altogether, with the caption reading “Two of my heroes!”. A clear sign that there were no hard feelings between the three.
Coming Together
Nadia Comăneci And Caitlyn Jenner
Nadia was not the only athlete who made celebrity status at the 1976 Olympic Games held in Montreal, Canada. Caitlyn Jenner was also making headlines as a gold medalist, competing in Track and Field. Jenner explained, “Gymnastics finished before Track and Field started, so I was already gone by the time she competed”, so the two didn’t actually meet until 2016. When they did, they immediately made a connection.
Nadia Comăneci And Caitlyn Jenner
Nadia Comăneci And Arnold Schwarzenegger
Jenner was not the only athletic celebrity keen for an introduction with Nadia Comăneci. Nadia was working out at her local gym one day, when Schwarzenegger, the former California governor, came over and asked her for a snap, and posted it on social media with the following caption; “It is fantastic to get to the gym early and have an Olympic champion as your trainer – thanks Nadia Comaneci! 10 reps to honor the first perfect 10 score in the Olympics.”
Nadia Comăneci And Arnold Schwarzenegger
A Professional Couple
Nadia and Bart were not just a good team at home. They also shared the chair as commentators at the Beijing Summer Olympics in 2008!
A Professional Couple
Judging Themselves
The Olympic Committee thought they would have some fun with the commentators, and they set up a screen in a side studio, and screened the two-star athletes’ best performances from their Olympic competitions, giving them cameras and microphones to commentate on their performances themselves. Such a cute couple!
Judging Themselves
Torch Relay
Going even further back in their professional and personal relationship, they shared another special experience together, when they ran a leg of the Torch Relay in Oklahoma for the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics.
Torch Relay
Carrying The Olympic Torch
Nadia carried the Olympic Torch once more in 2012, when she joined John Ameachi the basketball star, on the 02 Arena’s roof in London for the Summer Olympics in London.
Carrying The Olympic Torch
Maintaining Flexibility
Today, Nadia spends a lot of time traveling, so she makes sure to keep a healthy routine and active lifestyle. Nadia believes that other than making sure to maintain a healthy diet and working out regularly, it is imperative to incorporate regular stretching in ones’ daily lifestyle in order to stay flexible and youthful.
Maintaining Flexibility
Ten – Not just a Score
The number ten now represents more than just her record-breaking perfect scores, as for Nadia Comăneci 10 now represents her net worth of $10 million!
Ten – Not just a Score
Just a Regular Girl
Nadia’s achievements represent the incredible heights one can reach with a bit of luck, but mostly, with bucket loads of determination and hard work. For many, Nadia is a hero, and back in her Romanian hometown there is a small building dedicated to her called “Memorial Nadia Comăneci Montreal”, a monument that will preserve her name and legacy for many years into the future.
Just a Regular Girl
Letters to a Young Gymnast: A Biography
Nadia’s story is one that doesn’t deserve to be left untold, and Nadia was encouraged to tell it. Eventually, she did and published her biography “Letters to a Young Gymnast” in 2004. Nadia’s story is not just a good read, but also a guide to how to succeed in achieving what one longs for the most, and overcoming the challenges we may face along the way.
Letters to a Young Gymnast: A Biography
Nadia Comăneci And Katie Holmes
Katie Holmes, the Hollywood actress, is another celebrity who became captivated with Nadia’s athletic prowess as well as her personal story. Holmes even approached Nadia with a suggestion to make her story into a feature film, which they did. The movie is called “Eternal Princess”, directed by Holmes and featuring Nadia Comăneci herself.
Nadia Comăneci And Katie Holmes
Shared Stories
The film was not just a tribute to the greatness that is Nadia Comăneci, but also served as a way to get to know Nadia on a more personal level, Holmes included. During the time they worked on the movie together, it soon became apparent to both Nadia and Holmes how much they had in common. They had both experienced fame at a very young age, both had experienced a quick rise to success as well as a swift fall from favor, and both of them had had relationships with overbearing partners.
Shared Stories
Winning
In 2016, Jacqueline Joseph, the Hollywood director set about making a documentary that would feature some of the most supreme athletes from across the world, and called it “Winning”. The film featured, among others: Tennis star Martina Navratilova, golf legend Jack Nicklaus, track and field great Edwin Moses, Dutch Paralympian Esther Vergeer and Nadia Comăneci.
Winning
Visiting The White House
In 2014, Nadia and husband Bart Conner were even invited to the White House to meet President Barack Obama and his wife, First Lady Michelle Obama. The visit took place just a few months before the Special Olympics took place, generating quite an excitement in anticipation of the event.
Visiting The White House
The Special Olympics
Although neither Nadia nor Bart compete athletically anymore, they are definitely still very much involved in the Olympic Games. They are ambassadors for the Special Olympics, meaning it is their job to promote awareness and financial support for the athletes competing and for the event itself.
The Special Olympics
Nadia Comăneci and Donald Trump
In fact, Nadia took part in the celebrity edition of Donald Trump’s The Apprentice in order to raise money for the Special Olympics. Although she didn’t succeed in this aspect, she was positive about the experience saying “I had great fun. I only did it because it was all for charity”.
Nadia Comăneci and Donald Trump
Philanthropy
Bart and Nadia are involved in a number of philanthropic organizations other than the Special Olympics, such as the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and organization that provides research and services for neuromuscular disease patients.
Philanthropy
Nadia Comăneci Children’s Clinic
Bart and Nadia do a lot of charity work together, but Nadia also does quite a lot of voluntary work of her own. An example of this is the clinic she opened in Bucharest, Nadia Comăneci Children’s Clinic, that provides free or subsidized medical care and social services for Romanian children.
Nadia Comăneci Children’s Clinic
The Youth Is The Future
Nadia is an advocate for the beneficial effects of sports on young children. She is a firm believer in the fact that sport is not only imperative for good health but it is also a wonderful outlet for their energy, as well as providing a structure that can help teach discipline and the rewarding feeling of achievement.
The Youth Is The Future
Lifetime Achievements
Although quite a while has passed since Nadia competed in athletics, she still continues to have an influence, having received many awards and accolades for her work and achievements over the years.
Lifetime Achievements
Fate or Fairytale
Nadia’s story is quite incredible that sometimes it seems hard to believe. In an interview, Nadia was once asked if she ever thought of her life as a fairytale. She gave an honest and powerful answer: “I don’t want my life to be scripted, it becomes too cheesy. I brought motivation to my generation and the generation after me. You should never give up when it gets hard”.
Fate or Fairytale
Connecting The Dots
It was in the same interview that Isabelle Kumar, the interviewer, asked if she could change anything in her life, would she? Nadia answered that she wouldn’t have. If she hadn’t had all the difficulties in her life that she had to overcome, she wouldn’t be the person she is today. She said it was “connecting the dots”.
Connecting The Dots
An Inspiration
Nadia Comăneci is a serious inspiration. She is living proof that if you are determined and commit to hard work, nothing can stand in the way of your dreams. She managed to overcome great sorrows and difficulties in her life. She experienced direct communist oppression, her parents’ divorce, the pressure of early fame, leaving her home country and family not knowing when she would return, a controlling partner in a foreign country. Yet, all these things are part of what shaped Nadia into the national and international hero we know and love. Nadia is a fabulous role model for us all, teaching us not to give up when life presents us with hardship, to work hard, and to never give up pursuing your dreams.
An Inspiration