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

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

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

Maybe that's why I like gymnastics - because I like to fly.

Ceausescu thought I had only a few medals, but I have a room full of them in Bucharest, between 150-200 in all. They needed suitcases to haul them out.

It was my mother who got me involved in gymnastics, sending me to classes when I was six just to stop me doing back flips on the couch and destroying the furniture.