Nadia comaneci

My parents were very loving, but disciplinarians.

I worked hard in gymnastics since the time I was six years old until I retired at 23 years of age.

Of course, I grew up in Communist Romania, but I am happy to say that now our country is democratic, and prospering, since the revolution in 1989.

I like to tell young people to work hard for your goals and live in the moment.

I ended up in the US for a month or so, before moving to Montreal with some Romanian friends.

Hard work has made it easy. That is my secret. That is why I win.

I hoped to win a medal and hoped it would be gold. I knew I was good but didn't know I would be the one to score something that had never been done before.

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.

We are not coaching on a daily basis because we often travel with our charity and commercial interests.

I don't run away from a challenge because I am afraid. Instead, I run toward it because the only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath your feet.