There is a big chance that you are familiar with who Nadia Comăneci is. The Romanian athlete made waves with her record-breaking performance during the Montreal Olympic Games in 1976. However, not many people will be familiar with the journey she embarked on to get into the Olympics and the challenges she faced later on. Did you know she later escaped from Romania after making history? Let’s take a close look at the life of this athlete who wowed everyone in Quebec and the rest of the world!
The Early Days
Nadia Elena Comăneci was born on November 12, 1961 in Onesti, Romania to Gheorghe and Stefania Comăneci. The Romanian Orthodox couple was thrilled to have welcomed their first child in the world, to say the least. Soon after her birth, she would have a sibling in the form of a brother.
The Early Days
Hope For Nadia
The name Nadia is not at all uncommon in their home country, though her parents had their own reason for giving her the name. When Stefania was pregnant, she and Gheorghe had been watching a film that ended up inspiring them. The protagonist was named “Nadya” which translates to “hope”. We’re sure they had no idea how appropriate the name actually was!
Hope For Nadia
Full Of Life
When she was a young girl, Nadia was simply full of boundless energy. She liked spending the day bouncing and jumping about the house. Her parents then decided that their daughter needed an outlet for her energy and they thought gymnastics would suit her well. We bet they did not know that it was a decision that would change the fate of the family forever.
Full Of Life
Going Forward
Even when she was little, Nadia was already driven. She already aspired to achieve greatness and make a name for herself. She later talked about her young self in this manner: “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.”
Going Forward
Young Talent
One day, six-year-old Nadia showed off her cartwheels on the playground when she was playing with a friend from kindergarten. The pair had been too busy playing that they did not notice they were being watched. Her stunts impressed the couple Márta and Béla Károlyi, both of whom were gymnastic coaches. At the time, the pair had been scouting the playground for fresh talent and decided that the two children held much potential. They followed the little girls in the hope that they could join them.
Young Talent
Béla Károlyi
Béla Károlyi was a longtime sports fan and he started out in hammer-throwing. He later became a champion in the sport but ultimately decided to go into coaching instead. In the beginning, he coached junior boxers but things changed when he met Márta Károlyi. This was the time that he decided to go into gymnastics instead and the pair regularly looked for young talent.
Béla Károlyi
Hard Work
Béla had been successful in their quest to recruit Nadia and it did not take long before they began working together. The little girl started training three hours every day and she was motivated by her desire to succeed. Béla and Márta were impressed with her talent and form. It simply seemed like nothing could get Nadia down as she always got up whenever she fell!
Hard Work
Ups And Downs
It seems like her intense training regime paid off as Nadia Comăneci made her way to the Romanian National Junior Championship when she was only eight years old. She was able to finish in 13th place, which is highly impressive for someone her age. Regardless, Nadia was disappointed that she did not win and this only motivated her to work harder. The same drive ended up earning her the first spot in the same competition the year after that!
Ups And Downs
Practice Makes Perfect
Béla Károlyi was someone who prized dedication and hard work so he was happy that his own protégé felt the same way. At the age of 13, Nadia and Béla were already training 8 hours a day for 6 days every week. That’s dedication for you! The pair wanted to achieve greatness and they were willing to do everything they had to in order to succeed.
Practice Makes Perfect
Never Too Much
Several years after she first became a champion, she was asked if she felt like the Károlyis ever trained her excessively. Nadia felt like this was the opposite of the truth! According to her, she always wanted to push herself to do more and more whenever she was given an exercise by Béla. Clearly, this was a girl who wanted to become the best and was not taking no for an answer.
Never Too Much
Gold and Silver
In 1975, the young gymnastic star made her debut in Europe during the European Women’s Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Skien, Norway. Nadia was able to take home the gold medal for nearly every competition she joined. The one she did not end up winning still earned her the silver medal. She was only 13 years old but she was already making waves in the field!
Gold And Silver
The American Cup
The following year, the budding gymnast left Europe to participate in the American Cup in the United States. It served as some sort of warm-up competition for the Summer Olympic Games that was held in Montreal later that year. The world was impressed by the talented teenager who managed to earn perfect scores. How impressive is that?!
The American Cup
Two Winners
After her impressive performance in the competition, there was the awards ceremony. A pair of silver cups was to be awarded to two gymnasts, one female and one male. Nadia Comăneci took hers graciously and the latter was given to Bart Conner of the United States. This was their first meeting and little did they know that it would be a life-altering moment for them.
Two Winners
Young Love
When the two athletes were modeling their models, photographers made sure to capture the moment on film. Someone even barked out, “Kiss for the cameras, please!” Bart Conner, aged 18 at the time, decided to plant a kiss on the cheek of 14-year-old Nadia for the photos. The moment was immortalized in an adorable photograph and the shot definitely helped the pair of gymnasts become even more famous.
Young Love
Summer Olympics
Four months later, Nadia made a name for herself during the 1976 Olympic Games. We daresay that Nadia was able to dominate the field and she even left everyone in attendance stunned with her performance. She managed to earn a total of six perfect scores of 10! She was able to break world records and ended up becoming the first gymnast to have ever earned that amount of perfect scores in history.
Summer Olympics
Confusion In The Crowd
The feat was so amazing that everyone must have been at a loss for what to do next. There were several minor little hiccups that occurred, though we are sure they were harmless. Omega SA, the digital scoreboards manufacturer, did not make the boards with the ability to show “10” as it was generally deemed impossible. The display therefore showed “1.00” instead of “10” much to the confusion of everyone in the crowd. Of course, this only lasted a couple of seconds until they realized what it truly meant.
Confusion In The Crowd
Writing History
Fans were incredibly eager to hear what Nadia thought about the record-breaking score she earned. As a response to everyone’s inquiry, Nadia admitted that she preferred not to look at the scoreboards whenever she competes. She said, “I didn’t know I was making history when I got the 10.”
Writing History
The Perfect “10”
Before the issue was cleared up, Béla Károlyi was undeniably furious. He believed that there was a mistake or a penalty he failed to notice. He explained, “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.’”
The Perfect “10”
For Now And Always
It is already impressive enough to hold such a record, but can you believe that Nadia accomplished this at only 14 years old? No matter what happens in the future, she will always be the youngest person who ever accomplished this feat. If you’re wondering why, it is because the Olympic committee changed the rules and they set the youngest eligible age to be 16 years old.
For Now And Always
Humble Nadia
After she managed to rake in perfect scores, the awarding ceremony followed yet again. When she was asked for her thoughts about her history-making performance, the world watched in anticipation to see what the 14-year-old girl had to say. The athlete only said, “It’s okay. I’ve gotten 19 golds in other competitions.”
Humble Nadia
In With The New
During the 1972 Munich Olympic Games, the Soviet athlete Olga Korbut was definitely the standout gymnast. She stunned everyone with her nearly flawless performance, but there was now a new girl to take her place. As the competition loomed closer, Korbut had no choice but to swallow her pride and make way for the young competitor.
In With The New
A New Hero
When Nadia flew back to Bucharest after the Olympics, she did not expect the reception that she received upon her return home. Over 10,000 people huddled together at the airport to welcome back the national hero. The teenager did not know how to handle the crowds of adoring fans and she even retreated back to the plane for a moment there!
A New Hero
National Pride
Nadia Comăneci left the country as a talented young gymnast and she returned home a national hero. After all, no other athlete in Romanian history had ever accomplished what she did. President Nicolae Ceaușescu even awarded the teenager the “Sickle and Hammer Gold Medal” that declared her a hero of “Socialist Labor”. The grapevine also reported that the government gifted the family a car and allowed them to take a whole month away from work.
National Pride
Dedications To Nadia Comăneci
To top off her success, Robert Riger also created a video montage of her performance in the 1976 Summer Olympic Games. He used the 1971 hit song “Cotton’s Dream” to go with the footage. The song was composed by Perry Botkin, Jr. and Barry De Vorzon. Soon enough, the song was associated by everyone with Nadia and her winning performance. The title was later renamed to “Nadia’s Theme” and it made its way to the top of the charts.
Dedications To Nadia Comăneci
Athlete Of The Year
Things did not stop there, however. Newsweek Magazine also came out with a colored full page cover of her that had been captioned “A Star Is Born”. On the other hand, the BBC called her the “Overseas Sports Personality of the Year” and the Associated Press dubbed her “Female Athlete of the Year”. The world simply adored Nadia Comăneci!
Athlete Of The Year
No Space
Nadia soon became the talk of the town. For reference, this was around the same time that a space mission was sent to Mars. Regardless, Time Magazine dedicated a cover to the young girl and only talked about the Mars mission in a small corner of the page.
No Space
New Moves
Nadia actually accomplished more than simply execute gymnastics stunt perfectly. She actually invented some of them! This includes the “Comăneci salto” and the “Comăneci dismount”. There is no doubt in our minds that Nadia completely changed the game.
New Moves
Turbulent Times
It seems like everything was going well for Nadia, doesn’t it? She was enjoying a great career and international popularity to boot. However, she received terrible news when learned that her parents decided to split up. Nadia and her younger brother suddenly had to go through something they were unprepared for.
Turbulent Times
Losing Béla
Unfortunately, this would mark the beginning of her bad luck. The local sporting officials decided that Béla Károlyi would be able to serve Romania better by taking on a new athlete. Nadia was completely devastated by the news and who can blame her? He was the person who had coached her from the very beginning. Unfortunately, this was only the beginning of her downward spiral.
Losing Béla
Stress Overload
Let us not forget that Nadia was only 15 years old at the time. She was too young to handle the stress that had suddenly popped up in her life. She completely lost her motivation to train and she eventually stopped heading to the gym altogether. In fact, she was even taken to the hospital as she was suffering from high stress levels.
Stress Overload
Keeping To Herself
Nadia was dubbed something of “an emotionless gymnast” thanks to her quiet determination and passion for the sport. Most people are unaware that she is actually quite the opposite! By then, Nadia was very emotional, though she might not display her feelings often. She was the type of person who bottled up her emotions and Béla Károlyi testified to this by saying, “She kept everything inside”. Nadia was too young and ill-equipped to handle everything life threw her.
Keeping To Herself
Time To Restart
Not long after this, the Romanian Sporting Authority officials realized that they made a huge mistake when they chose to separate Béla and Nadia. In order to make reparations, he was immediately reinstated in his previous position. The two shared a tearful but happy reunion but both knew they could not spare any time away from training. At that point, the Moscow Olympic Games was drawing closer and closer.
Time To Restart
Hands On
As all athletes know, injuries are pretty much unavoidable. While Nadia was participating in the World Championships, she cut her wrist on a grip buckle. She was taken to the hospital right away and she was told not to continue competing in the games. However, Nadia was a determined individual and she chose not to follow the doctor’s advice. She rushed back to the competition and managed to bring home the gold medal!
Hands On
Moscow Summer Olympics
Nadia and Béla did not have a lot of time left to train so they decided to give it everything they had. They trained nonstop for five weeks so that they could prepare as well as they could for the upcoming Olympic Games. The Moscow Olympic Games was rather controversial since the United States did not want to send competitors as a means of protesting the USSR involvement in Afghanistan. However, Russians were also worried about another thing: Nadia Comăneci.
Moscow Summer Olympics
Hecklers In The Crowd
It seems like Nadia was dead set on winning again. The world was eager to see more of the record-breaking athlete but she made sure not to succumb to the pressure. During her performance, she ignored the drunk hecklers and yells of “Fall, Nadia! Fall!” Although she did not get as much time to train as possible, she still managed to take home four medals: two silver and two gold.
Hecklers In The Crowd
Unfair Scoring
Yet again, Nadia managed the impress the spectators and judges alike. She gave more flawless performances, though there was another challenge ahead of her. The judges took a conspicuous amount of time to deliver her scores and Bela Károlyi started feeling suspicious. When the scores were revealed, they seemed too low for the quality of Nadia’s performance. Her coach made a scene and it was caught on tape. Some people felt like his reaction embarrassed his country and Bela was suddenly worried about his safety when they return to Romania.
Unfair Scoring
Mutual Respect
Despite the scandal in Moscow fresh in everyone’s mind, Nadia managed to bring home a gold medal and earned the respect of both her fans and competitors from different parts of the globe. Nellie Kim, a Soviet gymnast, embraced her and congratulated her when they were on the podium. She cleared the misconceptions about Nadia’s coldness when she said, “She was psychologically prepared, not emotionless.”
Mutual Respect
Escaping The Grip
In an attempt to promote her in the United States, the Gymnastics Federation launched the tour “Nadia 81” in 1981. It was spread over 11 cities and served as an opportunity to show off Nadia to her American fans. Moreover, it provided Bela a shot at safety. He chose to defect to the USA and Nadia felt yet another deep pang of abandonment.
Escaping The Grip
No Way Out
The Romanian government feared that this would cause Nadia to defect as well and so they instituted a travel ban for her. They also monitored and screened all of her letters and phone calls. The young woman had no freedom or privacy whatsoever. The only times she was given permission to leave the country was to fly abroad in order to participate in various competitions.
No Way Out
Throwing In The Towel
Nadia made a bold decision in 1984 when she chose that she would retire from the sport. However, the decision did not mean she was quitting gymnastics altogether. She actually moved on to coaching the Romanian gymnastics team instead. However, this position would prove to make the future even more difficult for her.
Throwing In The Towel
The New Girl
During the 1984 Olympic Games, Nadia was in for the surprise of her life. She saw none other than Béla Károlyi, her former coach, across the mats. By then, he was actually a coach for the U.S. gymnastics team. He had also taken Mary Lou Retton under his wing. Nadia was likely hurt by this revelation, although she was aware that he did the best thing he could in his position.
The New Girl
Mary Lou Retton
Mary Lou Retton was born on January 24, 1968. She fell in love with gymnastics, something she attributed to witnessing Nadia Comăneci sweep the floor at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal. She decided to move to Houston, Texas upon learning that coaches Béla and Márta Károlyi have relocated there. She soon began training with them.
Mary Lou Retton
New Success
Soon after this, her efforts to train with the Károlyis paid off. During the Los Angelic Olympic Games in 1984, she ended up becoming the first non-Eastern European female gymnast to take home the individual all-around gold. Interestingly, Retton was up against Ecaterina Szabo of Romania at the time.
New Success
Keeping Distance
Nadia was unable to tear her eyes away from the American team during the Olympic Games. Mary Lou Retton was not the one breaking her heart – it was her old coach. The Romanian government gave Nadia strict orders not to interact with him in any way. She was suffering and felt a strong urge to leave her home country.
Keeping Distance
Hope On The Horizon
However, Nadia did not get the chance to escape until several years later. At a party, the former gymnast met an interesting man called Constantin Panait. He explained that he had defected to the United States and that he had become a citizen. Nadia did not know at the time that he would end up changing the course of her life.
Hope On The Horizon
The Only Chance
Nadia decided to put her trust in Panait since he was able to acquire American citizenship. She knew that there were risks involved but that did not stop her from following him in an attempt to leave Romania. They succeeded in 1989 by sneaking into Hungary and then into Austria. They were able to make it to the US by flying into Canada first. A couple of weeks later, the Romanian Revolution happened.
The Only Chance
Goodbyes
The worst thing about the endeavor was saying goodbye to her family. Nadia was worried that her mother might suffer a heart attack after telling her the news, though her brother was able to calm her down. They told Nadia that she needed to go through with her plan.
Goodbyes
A Close Call
The journey was a risky one, to say the least. As they were attempting to make their way to Hungary, some patrolmen noticed them. During the questioning, the soldiers realized who she was and they let her go free. Can you imagine what might have happened if it was someone else?
A Close Call
A Mixed Reception
Her arrival in America understandably became huge news. Everyone learned about it immediately and journalists wanted to know more about the young woman. They kept asking her questions like “What are your plans now?” Nadia never had any problems maintaining her cool so she only smiled and replied in her broken English. Some people were not as welcoming due to malicious rumors that had been going around but most people were glad that she was there.
A Mixed Reception
Held Back
Upon learning that Nadia made it to the United States, Béla Károlyi did not hesitate to extend his hand to his old student. He was far from being the only person trying to get in touch with her, however. A lot of people made attempts to contact her, though they never heard back from her. The reason that Nadia had not been returning calls was that she did not know about them. Constantin Panait had actually been intercepting them!
Held Back
Life Of Mystery
Constantin Panait had been taking advantage of Nadia’s broken English to keep her to himself. The two had a rather bizarre relationship together. Although Panait had a wife, the pair often checked in at hotels and motels. When asked about it, Nadia only responded by sticking her tongue out and telling them, “It’s a secret.” That sounds nothing short of shady if you ask us!
Life Of Mystery
A Friend In Need
Nadia was unable to ask for help until she went to Canada for a holiday. She luckily ran into Alexandru Stefu, a friend of hers, who asked her about the way she was acting around Panait. Much to his surprise, she confessed that she was being held against her will. Stefu was infuriated and decided to confront Panait who ran away upon learning he was in trouble. In fact, he left the country and even took a huge chunk of Nadia’s money with him. Despite the way she was treated, Nadia remains grateful to him for bringing her to America.
A Friend In Need
Bart Conner Returns
Stefu confronted Panait as Nadia was in the middle of preparing for her guest appearance on the Pat Sajak Show. Bart Conner learned that she will appear on the show and he badly wanted to see her.
Bart Conner
Meeting Nadia Comăneci
What a blast from the past! Bart and Nadia first met during the 1976 American Cup and it had been years since they both modeled their silver cups for the camera. How can we forget that Bart planted a kiss on her cheek? We bet Nadia never forgot about it either.
Meeting Nadia Comăneci
By All Means
Bart was feeling nervous when he arrived in Los Angeles. He wanted to surprise Nadia although he did not have a lot of time to find the studio where the interview was taking place. The show was due to start at 5 pm and his flight landed at 4:45 pm. As a testament to his dedication, Bart actually got a helicopter to pick him up and take him to the studio!
By All Means
Reunited Again
Bart Conner made quite the dramatic entrance with a big bouquet of flowers. He walked right up to Nadia Comăneci, presented her the flowers, and planted a kiss on her cheek! It seems like he decided then and there to kiss the other cheek as well. The crowd roared in delight and we’re sure that everyone was reminded of their first kiss.
Reunited Again
Friend Zone
Nadia was not aware that Bart had a huge crush on her. Back then, she thought he was just a welcoming and friendly guy. She recalled how he was the type of person who hopped from person to person in the bus in order to talk to everyone. She had no idea he had his eye on her the whole time!
Friend Zone
More than A Date
The pair began spending more and more time together after the show. It was only later that they realized they had actually been going out on dates! They eventually came to terms with the fact that there was more than just friendship going on between them. After four years together, Bart finally went down on one knee and asked Nadia to marry him.
More Than A Date
Wedding Day
The two wanted to tie the knot in Romania and so they flew to Europe for the wedding. Nadia was rather skeptical in the beginning as she was not sure how she would be received by her countrymen. After all, she did defect to the United States and this might be seen as an act of betrayal. She must have been surprised when she found 10,000 fans waiting to welcome her!
Wedding Day
The Whole Nation
Bart and Nadia got married in 1996. The event was treated like a national holiday and many Romanians tuned in to watch the wedding on their television sets. It has even been dubbed “the royal wedding of sport”. We’re sure sports fans had been cheering for them as well!
The Whole Nation
Little Bart
A decade after the wedding, the couple was blessed with a son called Dylan Paul. Bart and Nadia were slowly but surely beginning a family of their own in the United States. In an interview with Isabelle Kumar, Nadia was asked where she felt more at home. The former gymnast responded by saying, “I am a Romanian, but I am adopted by America.”
Little Bart
A Secret Wonder
As he was growing up, Dylan was initially under the impression that they were just regular parents. However, he soon realized he was wrong about that. One day, the little boy just got back from school when he asked Nadia, “Do you know that you’re famous?” Nadia only laughed and said yes before she showed him pictures of the competitions she and Bart took part in.
A Secret Wonder
Young And Old
A decade after her son was born, Nadia posted on Twitter something that delighted her fans. She uploaded a photo of her ten-year-old son with Béla and Martha Károlyi, her former coaches. She said that the meeting felt as if her life had finally come “full circle”. It’s easy to see why she felt that way. After all, Nadia would not be the same person without the Károlyis!
Young And Old
Coming Together
In the same year, Mary Lou Retton posted a photo that made fans smile. In the photo, you could see herself, Nadia Comănecim, and Béla Károlyi together. In the captions, she wrote, “Two of my heroes!” Clearly, there was no bad blood among the three of these gymnastic superstars.
Coming Together
Nadia Comăneci And Caitlyn Jenner
Nadia was not the only celebrity who actually competed during the Montreal Olympic Games in 1976. Caitlyn Jenner had been a competitor as well, though he had joined the track and field category. These two gold medalists never actually crossed paths, however. Jenner said, “Gymnastics finished before Track and Field started, so I was already gone by the time she competed.” The two only met each other four decades later and they got along well.
Nadia Comăneci And Caitlyn Jenner
Nadia Comăneci And Arnold Schwarzenegger
There are plenty of other celebrities who want to meet Nadia! As she was working out at the gym, Nadia was recognized by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Impressively, the former California governor came up to her and asked her for a photo. They even discussed training tips! Here was what he said about the encounter: “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
Commentators
Nadia and Bart are more than just a great domestic couple. During the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, the pair enjoyed each other’s company as co-commentators! Man, we can’t think of a better way of “doing what you love”!
Commentators
Judging Themselves
However, the 2008 Summer Olympic Games was not the last time they commentated on gymnastic talent. The Olympic Committee also made a loving tribute for the couple by setting up a studio and showed their routines from their best Olympic performances. Bart and Nadia then proceeded to judge the other’s performance. How sweet is that? That’s relationship goals right there!
Judging Themselves
Running With Fire
Let’s dig a little into the past and take a closer look at another special moment the couple shared. The photograph below shows them participating in the Salt Lake Olympic Torch Relay in Oklahoma back in 2002. Nadia ended up doing this yet another time.
Running With Fire
The Olympic Torch
Decked out in a white tracksuit again, Nadia joined John Amaechi on the roof of the 02 Arena before the opening of the London Summer Olympics in 2012.
The Olympic Torch
Keeping Flexible
These days, Nadia spends a significant amount of time on the road so she needs to keep herself active and healthy. As expected, she makes sure to eat a nutritious diet and exercise regularly. She also believes stretching helps her stay flexible and young.
Keeping Flexible
Ten For Ten
The number “10” has since become a special digit to Nadia Comăneci. It is therefore not surprising to learn that she has a net worth amounting to $10 million!
Ten For Ten
The Girl Next Door
For many people, Nadia is both a national and international hero. However, you likely do not know that there is a small building in her hometown dedicated to her. It is called the “Memorial Nadia Comaneci Montreal” and it will remain standing there for many years to come.
The Girl Next Door
Letters To A Young Gymnast
A story like her life deserves to be told and this is why Nadia decided to write about her experiences. She later came out with a biography titled “Letters To A Young Gymnast”. Aside from being an interesting read, it is a good guide to accomplishing your dreams despite the challenges ahead of you.
Letters To A Young Gymnast
Nadia Comăneci And Katie Holmes
It seems like celebrities are drawn to Nadia like flies! The Hollywood star Katie Holmes was also enamored with the Olympic gymnast and wanted to make her life an onscreen project. The product of her fascination is a movie titled “Eternal Princess”.
Nadia Comăneci And Katie Holmes
A Lot In Common
Apart from narrating Nadia’s life story, the film also served as a way for people to learn more about the athlete’s personal life. When they were working on the film, Nadia and Holmes realized that they had many things in common. The two of them became famous when they were still young girls and they both underwent rapid success followed by a sudden failure. Oh, and they also dealt with overbearing partners as well!
A Lot In Common
Winning
“Eternal Princess” was not the only time Nadia worked in Hollywood. Director Jacqueline Joseph worked on the 2016 documentary “Winning” which featured some of the best athletes in the world. Other people on the list include the golf star Jack Nicklaus, the track and field icon Edwin Moses, the Paralympian legend Esther Vergeer, and the tennis superstar Martina Navratilova.
Winning
Visiting The White House
As you can see, no one could get enough of Nadia. In 2014, she and Bart even received an invitation to the White House. They had the opportunity to meet President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama. The meeting took place a couple of months prior to the Special Olympics and it helped promote the event.
Visiting The White House
The Special Olympics
It is true that Nadia and Bart have since stopped competing, though that does not mean they are no longer a part of the Olympics. As a matter of fact, they are both Special Olympics ambassadors so they have to go around the globe in order to raise funds for the athletes and the event.
The Special Olympics
Nadia Comăneci and Donald Trump
Nadia was thinking about the Special Olympics when she decided to join the celebrity version of The Apprentice. Although she did not raise as much money as she wanted for the Special Olympics, she had plenty of praises about her experience on the show. She said, “I had great fun. I only did it because it was all for charity.”
Nadia Comăneci And Donald Trump
Their Projects
The Special Olympic Games are not the only thing that Nadia and Bart are involved in. They are also active with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, an organization that provides services and research for patients of neuromuscular disease.
Their Projects
Nadia’s Clinic
Despite the fact that the couple does a lot of volunteer work side by side, Nadia does some philanthropic activities on her own. An example would be her “Nadia Comăneci Children’s Clinic” in Bucharest. The foundation provides free and subsidized services to local children.
Nadias Clinic
The Youth Is The Future
Nadia strongly believes that sports provide an excellent outlet for little kids. She thinks it is a good channel for their energy in addition to the health benefits they will reap. The gymnast believes that it helps instill discipline, structure, and feeling of achievement into the lives of young children.
The Youth Is The Future
Lifetime Achievements
It has been quite some time since she last competed in the Olympics, though Nadia’s legacy will never end. ABC News even included her in the ‘100 Most Important Women of the 20th Century’ list back in 1999. Moreover, she was listed as one of the ‘25 Outstanding Sports People of the 20th Century’ by The International Association of Sports Writers.
Lifetime Achievements
Fairytale Or Fate
Certain parts of her life may be hard to believe sometimes. During one interview, she was actually asked if she ever compared her life to a fairy tale. She answered the interviewer honestly by saying, “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.”
Fairytale Or Fate
Connecting The Dots
During the same interview, Isabelle Kumar went on to ask if there was anything she would choose to change if she had to power to do so. Nadia answered the question perfectly. She said that the challenges she went through shaped her into who she is. For it, it was only a matter of “connecting the dots”.
Connecting The Dots
Inspiring Young Lives
There is no denying the fact that Nadia Comăneci is a woman worthy of our admiration. She has proven that working hard is important if you wish to succeed. She has endured many hardships in life: an oppressive government, her parent’s divorce, leaving her family behind, a controlling partner. She chose not to be bitter about these things and she is now a better person because of it. She is definitely a fantastic role model to men and women of all ages!
Inspiring Young Lives