I have had a few turning points, the first day I entered a gymnastics school at age 6.

People don't pay much attention to you when you are second best. I wanted to see what it felt like to be number one.

If you want to run as fast as the men, you've got to train like the men.

I know what I have to do, and I'm going to do whatever it takes. If I do it, I'll come out a winner, and it doesn't matter what anyone else does.

I pray hard, work hard, and leave the rest to God.

When anyone tells me I can't do anything, I'm just not listening anymore.

I believe in the impossible because no one else does.

A muscle is like a car. If you want it to run well early in the morning, you have to warm it up.

Nothing is going to be handed to you -- you have to make things happen.

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

One of the most difficult times in my life was when I escaped from Romania in November of 1989.

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

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

I worked hard in gymnastics since the time I was six years old until I retired at 23 years of age.

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

for some people life outside the spotlight is death.

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

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

The only way to escape fear is to trample it beneath your feet.