Nadia, the Girl Who Couldn’t Sit Still

The story begins in Onesti, Romania, where Nadia was born. Climbing trees and taking chances were two of her favorite pastimes. Fortunately, her parents enrolled her in gymnastics, and she and a friend were discovered by Bela and Marta Karolyi while training on a playground. She enrolled in their new gymnastics school and began training immediately. Readers will learn how difficult Nadia's training was and how much time she spent practicing. She placed 13th in her maiden National Junior Championships competition after repeatedly sliding off the balance beam. Nadia returned to the gym and pushed herself even harder. The next year, she won the same tournament! Following that, she competed in the 1976 Montreal Olympics and the 1980 Moscow Olympics.

Nadia was the first female gymnast to get a perfect ten during the 1976 Olympics. The scoreboard never went above a 9.99. Nadia went on to earn a total of five Olympic medals (3 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze). She became the first woman to win an Olympic gold medal in gymnastics at the age of sixteen. The chapter concludes with her returning to her hometown in Romania to continue practicing. The book's conclusion discusses her defection and accomplishments in the United States.

Author: Karlin Gray
Originally Published: June 7, 2016
Available from: https://www.amazon.com/