Dominique Moceanu
Dominique Moceanu
Dominique Helena Moceanu is a retired Romanian American gymnast. She was a member of the gold-medal-winning United States women's gymnastics teamat the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionGymnast
Date of Birth30 September 1981
CityLos Angeles, CA
CountryUnited States of America
I prayed a lot. That's all I had in the gym; that was the thing I could turn to.
barely create father holiday recall scene single walking
I can barely recall a single holiday when my father didn't make a scene or create some kind of chaos. We were always walking on eggshells.
afraid coaches sports
I was so afraid to make mistakes and get reprimanded by my coaches that the joy of the sport started slipping away.
believe child healthy matter nurture physical succeed
My husband and I believe that if you treat a child well and nurture his talent and physical ability, in a healthy environment, the child will succeed no matter what.
believe coaches compete environment good gymnastics looking taking
I believe you can be young and compete in gymnastics if you have a coach who is looking out for you and if there is a good gym environment where the coaches are taking care of you emotionally and physically.
adoption existed given knew secret sibling
I have a secret sibling that I never knew existed and who was given up for adoption at birth by my parents, and she was born without legs.
among came child dream escaping giving gymnastics life popular regime sports states united
In Romania, of course, gymnastics is among the most popular sports, and my parents had a dream of escaping the Ceausescu regime and giving their child a better life. So they came to the United States and put me in gymnastics.
believe certainly life tremendous
I certainly believe that having my husband be in my life has been a tremendous blessing.
chose
Gymnastics was my calling. I think it chose me in a lot of ways.
anatomy coaches educated elite health level physiology works
Some coaches are not educated at the elite level in health and nutrition. They're not educated in how the body works from anatomy and physiology perspectives.
atlanta games gymnastics jewel medal olympic receiving sacrifices standing successful
Standing on the podium at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and receiving a gold medal was the crowning jewel in a successful gymnastics career and, most certainly, the confirmation that my parents' sacrifices were not in vain.
best eager hungry
I loved gymnastics. I was eager to compete. I was hungry to go out there and be the best in the world, and I had that determination.
forgive happier heal healthier life move order people sake
In the end, you have to forgive in order to heal and move forward with your life. For people who hurt you very deeply, you don't have to forgive them for their sake but for your sake, so that you can move forward and have a healthier and happier life.
deal method people self-esteem success
I don't think ethical people deal with intimidation as a method to achieve success. Undermining someone's self-esteem isn't a method to achieve success.