Chip Chick
If you’re a gymnastics enthusiast, chances are you’ve heard of five-time Olympic gold medalist Nadia Comăneci.
If not, get ready to hear her amazing story as a woman who made epic history when she was only a teenager.
Nadia was born in November 1961 in Romania. She was a very active child with lots of energy, so her mother had the idea of enrolling her in a gymnastics class.
When she was six, she was chosen to work with famous gymnastics coach Béla Károlyi and started training at him and his wife’s new school.
She began competing on her hometown team when she was nine years old and already made history by becoming the youngest gymnast to ever win the Romanian Nationals.
One year later, she participated in her first international competition, where she helped win the gold for her team.
Nadia kept growing stronger and more successful as a gymnast year by year, winning several gold medals in national and international competitions.
She competed in the 1976 American Cup at Madison Square Garden in New York City, where she scored a 10 and was awarded the European all-around title.
Then, that summer, at the age of 14, she had a career-defining and history-making moment. At the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games, she became the first gymnast to ever score a perfect 10 after her routine on the uneven bars.
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