Former great gymnast Nadia Comaneci, the first sportswoman in history to score a perfect 10 at the Olympic Games, told children present at an event organized at the Alro Slatina stadium on Thursday that performance does not depend on where you are born, but on work, perseverance and courage, emphasizing that 'you don't have to be born in a specific place to be the best at what you do'.

Nadia Comaneci participated in the anniversary event 'Together for Excellence', organized by the Association for Health and Education for Success (ASES), with the support of the aluminum producer Alro, main sponsor and host of the event, and with the support of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee.

'I would like to wish you success in what you do and remember that you don't have to be born in a certain place to be the best at what you do. Big things come from small details. With small steps we get there easily, with confidence, with respect, with resilience and with courage,' Nadia Comaneci told the hundreds of children and young athletes present at the event.

Nadia Comaneci recalled, noting the energy of the children, that her mother guided her to gymnastics to 'spend her child energy'.

'I am excited to see so many children who have an energy and a passion for what they do. When I was your age, I would jump in bed and my mother, afraid of getting injured, took me to the gym. And that's how I spent my child energy', said the former gymnast.

Asked what advice she would give to children who practice competitive sports and dream of becoming champions, Nadia Comaneci emphasized the importance of exercise from a young age and the role of sport.

'When you are five or six years old, I think the most important thing is to do something. Gymnastics is a basic sport that teaches you everything for any kind of sport you want to do in the future. Exercise is extremely important. Parents, know that you are investing in your children if you find them a place where they can practice sports with a team, so that they learn responsibility, discipline and respect,' she said.

The former gymnast also spoke about the trials behind the performance that established her at the Montreal Olympics.

'The child Nadia Comaneci was not perfect at first. I had failures many times. The world only remembers that peak in Montreal. There were competitions in which I fell three times on the beam and got a score of 7.25. But I didn't give up. I always wanted to find my limit,' she said.

Comaneci confessed that she had strong emotions before the 1976 Olympic competition, but she managed to manage them by focusing on the exercises.

'I was enormously nervous before entering the competition in Montreal, but I tried to think about something else. Everyone is nervous and it's good to be a little nervous. I worked for seven or eight years before I entered to compete in the Olympics and I realized that my bag was full of knowledge. I just had to pay attention to what I had to do,' explained the former champion.

The impact that Nadia Comaneci's success had on several generations was understood only years later, the former champion confessed.

'I was too young to understand what that moment meant. Years later, I met a lot of people who worked in other fields and who told me that I inspired them. The courage of a little girl who came from a place that no one knew about and the fact that she didn't give up impressed a lot of people,' she said.

Asked what was the most important piece of advice she could give to children, Nadia Comaneci urged them not to accept limits imposed by others.

'Always look for your limit and don't listen to anyone who comes to tell you 'you can't'. You have your limit and you are the ones who choose what you like and what your passion is,' she said.

She encouraged the children to do sports and not to give up when they encounter difficulties.

'Have confidence in yourself, believe in what you are doing, don't give up when it's harder. In gymnastics, 80% of what we do means we fall a lot and learn to get back up, and this is extremely important in life too. Courage, courage!', said Nadia Comaneci.

The event was also attended by the president of the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee, Mihai Covaliu, who pointed out that Nadia Comaneci's example demonstrates that performance can be achieved regardless of where you come from.

'A child of your age, coming from Romania, from a small town, managed to achieve perfection. You can do this too. First of all, you have to believe, dream and set your mind to it,' said Covaliu.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Alro Slatina, Marian Nastase, emphasized that the event is dedicated to Nadia Comaneci and the children. AGERPRES(RO - writing by: Cristina Matei; EN - writing by: Bogdan Gabaroi)
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