Nadia Comaneci

Nadia Comaneci (https://www.theguardian.com/sport/london-2012-olympics-blog/2011/dec/14/50-olympic-moments-nadia-com)

"I don't run away from a challenge because I'm afraid. Instead, I run toward it because the only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath your feet"(Nadia Comaneci).This quote said by a young, fourteen-year-old, Romanian gymnast, the "great" Nadia Comaneci,  perfectly depicts her. Comaneci is mostly known for making history at the 1976 Olympic games at Montreal, Quebec. She became the first woman to score a "perfect" score of 10.0 on the Uneven Bars. Another four years later and she still managed to compete at her second Olympic games. Though she had a long, and challenging gymnastics career, she was able to stir up the courage to break out of a totalitarian country and take a dangerous journey to deflect to the United States. In spite of being an amazing gymnast, Comaneci was able to set an example to all of those like her in Romania at the time by being brave and determined to fight for what she wanted. Nadia Comaneci possessed persistence and courageousness throughout her gymnastics career and the rest of her life in the limelight.

Nadia's Perfect Score ( http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/03/sport/olympics-nadia-comaneci/index.html)

From scoring the first perfect 10.0 in gymnastics history, to escaping communism in her country, Comaneci maintained to be persistent throughout her hardships and never gave up. Throughout her gymnastics career, Nadia did not take "no" for an answer and never gave up on any challenge that was thrown on her. After she made history at the 1976 Olympics, she went to her second Olympic games and she managed to "...earned seven perfect 10s, three gold medals, one bronze and one silver" with her unimaginable pedestal that she set for herself (Bennett). Comaneci still managed to keep her adrenaline and excitement down from scoring a perfect 10 and continued to win medals and represent her country. After Nadia retired from gymnastics in 1984, she decided to deflect the country because of a new Romanian leader and communist, Nicolae  Ceausescu. Since her former coach, Bela Karolyi, deflected the country in 1981, she decided that she would do the same. Although, this was not a safe journey, "She defected with a small group one night in 1989, walking hours in the dark into neighboring Hungary... That night they climbed seven barbed-wire fences. Comaneci said in her autobiography she was "covered with blood.'"(Benette).  She is persistent for going through this much danger to avoid from Nicolae Ceausescu, a brutal dictator during her time, and escape to the United States. This was a dangerous journey for a once "graceful" gymnast and was not done often by people during that time because you could get in trouble if caught. In her autobiography, Nadia Comaneci is teaching how she was able to accomplish most of her successes on her own. She writes in her autobiography, " They can give you ideas and direction, but in the end, you have to do it alone. You must figure out your own destination and the best route to get there because no one else knows the way" (Comaneci).  Nadia is so persistent that she realized she had to overcome the majority of her challenges on her own. She made sure to never give up in her hardships, especially like in her gymnastics career and her long, tedious journey to the United States. Comaneci was able to pave her own way through her many successes by never giving up and possessing her quality of persistence.

Romanians like Nadia Protesting against Communism (http://alina_stefanescu.typepad.com/romania_reveal ())

Nadia Comaneci had to face many obstacles courage not only in her gymnastics career, but also  her journey on her way to deflect to the United States. Most young women her age would not have the guts to go on a dangerous journey to freedom. She writes, "I'd trudged through freezing water and across icy fields and climbed over barbed-wire fences, all the while expecting to be shot" (Comaneci). Comaneci managed to not give up in the hardest circumstances not related to gymnastics. This was instilled in her from the continuous training what she has experienced through her career. Therefore, she is courageous for sticking to her word, and setting an example for those in a similar situation like hers.  In her autobiography she writes, "I don't run away from a challenge because I am afraid. Instead, I run towards it because the only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath your foot" (Comaneci). The drive that is needed to overcome hardships individually is shown through Comaneci. As a fourteen year old girl she managed to have this type of mindset at such a young age and capture so many successes. After her second Olympic games, "...She was living in a totalitarian country that was not only politically repressive, but also struggling economically...In 1989 she decided to defect to the United States." ("Nadia Elena Comaneci"). Comaneci was able to do fight for what wanted which was not what most people at that time could do. With the mindset instilled in her at such a young age, she was able to build up the courage to make the decision to defect to the United States. Nadia Comaneci had the courageous mindset to face her many hardships and challenges like attending two Olympic games and defecting to the United States for her freedom.

Nadia Captivating Fans (http://labs.da.org/wordpress/mustangs208/biographi ())

As Comaneci once said, "You must figure out your own destination and the best route to get there because no one else knows the way."  With her persistent, successful gymnastics career and her courageous journey defecting to the United States, Nadia Comaneci is an inspiration to not only aspiring, young gymnasts, but to all who have lived in circumstances like her and wanted to follow in her footsteps. "People still remembered how Comaneci captivated fans, judges, and viewers at the 1976 Olympics and how she changed the world of gymnastics forever"("Nadia Comaneci" Encyclopedia). She was able to gratify the whole entire world "under her feet" at such a young age and had enough in her to stay tall and keep strong. She is an inspiration to me not only because I admire her gymnastics career, but because she was able to fight for what she believed in. To others she might just be that young gymnast who can swing around on a pair of bars; to me she is an icon not only in gymnastics, but an icon to those who wanted to have freedom from their totalitarian country. Nadia Comaneci has what a true hero needs to possess; the courage to run towards your fears, never give up because a challenge is too "unattainable", and to trample it under your feet.

Works Cited

Bennett, Kitty. "Where Are They Now? Gymnast Nadia Comaneci." AARP, 16 July 2010,

www.aarp.org/politics-society/history/info-07-2010/where_are_they_now_nadia_comaneci.ht

Ml.

Comăneci, Nadia. Letters to a Young Gymnast. New York, Basic Books, 2004.

"Nadia Comaneci." Encyclopedia of World Biography, vol. 18, Gale, 1998. Student

Resources in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1631001495/SUIC?u=powa9245&xid=2e688254.

Accessed 18 Jan. 2017.

"Nadia Elena Comaneci." Notable Sports Figures, edited by Dana R. Barnes, Gale, 2004.

Biography in Context,

link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K2440301103/BIC1?u=powa9245&xid=1f2fc139.

Accessed 12 Jan. 2017.