Nadia Comaneci

Nadia Comaneci was born on November 12, 1961, in Romania. She started practicing gymnastics since she was a little girl. She began competing nationally, in 1970 as a member of her hometown team.

At the age of 13 Nadia won three gold medals and one silver at the European Gymnastics Championships. A year later, in 1975, she finished first in Montreal's pre-Olympics.

All these achievements were only the first step to what would happen the following year, 1976, in the Montreal Olympic Games. She was the first gymnast to score perfect 10 in Olympic Games ever. She won 3 gold medals and one silver.

Nadia withdrew from high competition after this Olympic Games. Her last appearance in a major tournament was in the World University Championship which was held in Bucharest in 1981, where she won 5 gold medals. She was a member of the Romanian Gymnastics Federation and trained youngsters in her country between 1984 an 1989.

In 1989 she escaped to the United States, where she met her future husband, the gymnast Bart Conner. Nadia and Bart got married in 1996.

In 1999, Nadia was invited to speak before the UN.

I chose Nadia Comaneci as my hero because she made a big change in the way women were seen in the world. She demonstrated that women could do anything they set their minds on.