Letters to a Young Gymnast

Nadia Com_neci

Basic Books, 2004 - Biography & Autobiography - 180 pages

If there were such a thing as an "elder" stateswoman in women's gymnastics today, Nadia Comaneci would win that title as readily as she once won gold medals. Olga Korbut came before her, and many other medalists would follow, but none has ever been as dominant in winning the hearts of millions around the world. With grit and determination, Nadia Comaneci ushered in a new era for women's sports, one where young girls could vault into the arena of superstardom. Even today, almost thirty years after her greatest triumphs, you need only mention the name "Nadia" and gymnastics fans know instantly whom you are talking about.In Letters to a Young Gymnast, Nadia shows what it takes to achieve athletic perfection and become the best. With inspiring and dramatic stories from her own experience, she tells us how the young girl that Bela Karolyi discovered in a Romanian elementary school found the inner strength to become a world-class athlete at such a young age. This collection of Nadia's memories, anecdotes, and advice grants unique insights into the mind of a top competitor. From how to live after you've realized your dream, to the necessity of "a spirit forged with mettle," Nadia's thoughts on athleticism and sacrifice are eye-opening and surprisingly challenging.

Contents

• The Dream: 1
• The Beginning: 15
• Necessity: 23
• The Disciplined Life: 47
• Tough Teens: 59
• The Scorpion: 71
• Courage?: 93
• The Struggle: 107
• The Scream: 115
• Fairy Tales: 131
• Defection: 137
• Doing Time: 151
• A Breath of Fresh Air: 167

About the author

Born in 1961 in Onesti, Romania, Nadia Comaneci made sports history during the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal by scoring the first perfect "10.00" in a gymnastics competition. By the end of that Olympiad, she had repeated that feat six more times, winning three gold medals, as well as silver and bronze. She defected to the U.S. in 1989. Since then she has remained very active in promoting her sport, and is now married to American gymnast Bart Conner, himself a two-time Olympic champion. Together they run the Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy, publish International Gymnast magazine, run Perfect 10 Productions, and travel the world in support of the Special Olympics, the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and other charities. She lives in Norman, Oklahoma.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Letters to a Young Gymnast; Art of Mentoring; Letters to a Young... Series
• Author: Nadia Com_neci
• Edition: revised
• Publisher: Basic Books, 2004
• ISBN: 0465012760, 9780465012763
• Length: 180 pages
• Subjects: Biography & Autobiography / Sports; Sports & Recreation / Gymnastics