Nadia Elena Comaneci, born November 12, 1961 in Onesti, Romania, as the daughter of Gheorghe and Stefania-Alexandrina.

Romania's Nadia Comaneci was the star of the Montreal Olympics in 1976 when she became the first gymnast in Olympic history to be awarded the perfect score of 10.0.

ABC Television set her performance to music, using a theme from a popular American soap opera, and the song was eventually renamed "Nadia's Theme".

Comaneci first achieved her perfect 10 on the uneven parallel bars in 1976 and the judges awarded her the maximum mark seven times during the Games.

Comaneci first came to prominence at the 1975 European Championships, at which she won four gold medals. In the 1976 and 1980 Games she won a total of nine Olympic medals.

Following the 1980 Games, natural physical development began to inhibit her performance and after a victory at the 1981 World Student Games she retired.

Strangely, Comaneci won only one individual World Championship title, on the balance beam in 1978.

In '84, the International Olympic Committee awarded Comaneci its Olympic Order.

Comaneci began a quiet life in Romania as a coach, but in November '89 defected under cover of night, through Hungary and then through to Austria. She soon ended up in North America, first in Florida and then in Montreal.

Longtime friend Bart Conner (who also won the '76 American Cup) soon interceded, and the two began a courtship. In '93, Comaneci was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.

In April '96, Comaneci and Conner were married in Bucharest.

Today, Comaneci and Conner are partners in the Bart Conner Gymnastics Academy (Norman, Okla.), and the Perfect 10 Productions company, which produces gymnastics TV events.

The couple is also involved in a number of charitable projects, as they travel the world in support of causes like Special Olympics and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

On June 3, 2006, Conner and Nadia welcomed their son, Dylan Paul Conner, into the world. Dylan, who was born a few weeks early, was 4lbs. 10 oz., and 17 and 1/2 inches long at birth. He is strong, healthy and doing very well.

"It's hard to believe that after so many years people still remember me," Comaneci says now. "I am happy that with my success I can help others. Bart and I are proud to make dozens of speeches and public appearances for our charities as well as sponsors. We are hardly ever home, but this is the best way for us to make a positive contribution."

There are a total of six events in women's gymnastics.

Five individual events:

- balance beam
- floor exercises
- uneven bars
- vault
- individual all-round

One team event:

- all-around

At the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Comaneci took home a total of five medals - three golds, one silver, and one bronze.

Page by page, she tells the story of her life, growing up in rural Romania. A unique glimpse into the remarkable life, and fascinating mindset, of the woman who broke records-and boundaries-for female athletes everywhere.

In "Letters to a Young Gymnast," Nadia shows what it takes to achieve athletic perfection and become the best. With inspiring and dramatic stories from her own experience, she tells us how the young girl that Bela Karolyi discovered in a Romanian elementary school found the inner strength to become a world-class athlete at such a young age.

This collection of Nadia's memories, anecdotes, and advice grants unique insights into the mind of a top competitor. From how to live after you've realized your dream, to the necessity of "a spirit forged with mettle," Nadia's thoughts on athleticism and sacrifice are eye-opening and surprisingly challenging.