Nadia Comenici (pronounced Ko ma nee'ch) was one of the foremost gymnasts in Romania and, in fact, in the world. She was named after the heroine of a Russian film, "Nadezhda," (which means hope).

Most gymnasts are "discovered" when they are very young, and Nadia was only six years old when her flexibility and athleticism were spotted on the playground; she was formally introduced to gymnastics while in Marcel Duncan's newly formed gym club, "The Flame."

She was accepted in the Gymnastics High School in 1969 and competed in her first national competition in 1970. The team won, despite the fact that she fell three times during her beam routine and scored a meager 7.25 out of 10 points. Not to be overcome, she used this experience to increase her dedication to the sport, and she gave herself over to it completely.

In 1971 and 1972, she won the Junior National all-around title, and, in 1971, she won the all-around (38.50) in her first international competition.
 
By 1975, her skills were becoming quite impressive. In May of that year, she won the all-around in the European Championship, she took the gold medals for Beam, Bars, and Vault, and she won a silver metal for Floor. In that same year, the Associated Press named her its "Athlete of the Year."

Comenici, at the age of only 14, became an instant, international sensation after her performance at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, where she earned seven perfect scores (perfect scores had never been accomplished before) and five medals, including three golds (for the Bars, Beam and All-around). She went on to compete in the 1980 Moscow Games and brought her lifetime total to five golds, three silvers and one bronze; her 1980 golds were for Beam and Floor.

Nadia retired from active competition in 1984 and became a judge and the coach of the Romanian national team. In 1989, she fled Romania and was granted political asylum in the United States. She settled in Norman, Oklahoma and married U.S. gymnast Bart Connor in 1996.