Nadia Comaneci Quotes
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One of the most difficult times in my life was when I escaped from Romania in November of 1989.
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I wanted to have a free life.
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At 14, you think you compete, you retire and you get a job. I didn't think gymnastics was a career that was going to change my life.
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My mother never watched me train in Romania. She wasn't allowed, it just wasn't done back then. My training was paid for by the government. My parents were not at the Olympics with me, either. I never expected them to be.
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We developed a system in Romania that was very successfully continued for a number of years, but I don't know if it was because of some conflict in the organisation or whether there was government interference... but somehow, they have forgotten the importance of raising gymnasts to be ready for every Olympics.
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Everything I do today is because of what I did when I was 14.
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I am very highly appreciated in my country, and everybody seems to love me.
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I live in the moment. I can turn the page and move on.
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Of course, most people remember that I received the first perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics competition.
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Gymnastics was my way to travelling the world.
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I wasn't allowed to leave Romania. That made me mad. You just want your freedom. You want your space. You want opportunity.
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We used to exchange leotards with gymnasts from other countries. I don't remember who I got my most prized leotard from, but it was one with a lot of stars on it.
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I was turning actually 15 at the Olympics in '76... I don't think that one year makes a huge difference.
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Now, I have a kid, I have businesses to take care of, I have to travel. I have to sit down... and find a little time for me.
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It was good to be a kid because I did not realise all the things that came with the success. Going to the Games, I was asked what I expected to do.
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You can't jump from little things to big things. It just takes time and patience.
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I cannot change anything, so I don't want to think about what I would have done.
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I like Oklahoma. It's a quiet place. You can work, and nobody disturbs you.
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I always say, 'When the Olympics are happening, you shouldn't be in any other place in the planet - you should be here.'
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Romania doesn't have a big tradition of gymnastics as a fun activity. We were a little behind in this aspect.
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Enjoy the journey and try to get better every day. And don't lose the passion and the love for what you do.
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The fans had become used to looking toward the scoreboard whenever a gymnast stuck a landing. You could tell they were thinking, 'Was that good enough? Would the numbers read 10.00?' The athlete was looking, too.
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I know how to smile, I know how to laugh, I know how to play. But I know how to do these things only after I have fulfilled my mission.
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Romanians have a saying, 'Not every dog has a bagel on its tail.' It means that not all streets are paved with gold. When I began my career, I just wanted to do cartwheels.