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" Nellie Kim, an Olympic champion from the former Soviet Union, got a 10 right after me in '76, but nobody talks about that. "

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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. "

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

" I wanted to have a free life. "

" Ceausescu thought I had only a few medals, but I have a room full of them in Bucharest, between 150-200 in all. They needed suitcases to haul them out. "

" I wasn't allowed to leave Romania. That made me mad. You just want your freedom. You want your space. You want opportunity. "

" I think a lot of people don't actually know me. They think, 'She's like this,' or, 'She's like that.' They say I have no emotions - I do, but you couldn't see them then. I had to keep them inside. "

" When you go out of your country and meet people, you get a wider perspective. "

" My marriage to my husband, Bart Conner in 1996 is my proudest personal moment. "

" 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. "

" You should also appreciate the goodness around you, and surround yourself with positive people. "

Surround Yourself

" 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. "

" 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. "

" It was my mother who got me involved in gymnastics, sending me to classes when I was six just to stop me doing back flips on the couch and destroying the furniture. "

" I come from a wonderful country with wonderful people. "

" In Montreal, I kept thinking, 'Pay attention: this is the Olympics! It only happens once every four years!' "

" 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. "

" If I was a boy, nobody would care that I worked out six, seven hours a day when I was 9 years old, no? Why were people always saying 'poor little girl?' I liked to work out and always did more than I was asked to. "

" At the end of the day, I just want to see good gymnastics! "

" I never personally complained; everybody else complained for me. "

" Of course, most people remember that I received the first perfect 10 in Olympic gymnastics competition. "

" I like America. I don't want to hurt America. "

" It's like someone important is missing from a party because you can't imagine an Olympic gymnastics competition without Romania. "

" I am a relaxed person. I am very happy. "

" As an Olympic champion gymnast, I have always stayed involved in my sport. "

" I cannot change anything, so I don't want to think about what I would have done. "

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

" That's what everybody remembers. They don't remember how many medals I won in my career. They remember the 10s. "

" You can't jump from little things to big things. It just takes time and patience. "

" I am very highly appreciated in my country, and everybody seems to love me. "

" I like Oklahoma. It's a quiet place. You can work, and nobody disturbs you. "