We remember sprightly Nadia Comaneci, the darling of the 1976 Montreal Olympics who became the first gymnast in Olympic history to be awarded a perfect score of 10. Today, she is a stunning 44-year-old who was recently the star of a Romanian Embassy gala to honor her work for the Special Olympics and also to celebrate her birthday. Both Nadia and her husband, Bart Conner, also an Olympian, are on the board of the Special Olympics and volunteer their time to work for this 37-year-old organization, which provides sports training and competition for people with disabilities.
“Both Bart and Nadia have been wonderful celebrity representatives,” said Linda Potter, speaking for her husband Timothy Shriver, president of the Special Olympics. “They are always ready to travel where no one else is willing to go.”
Nadia and her husband run a gymnastics school in Oklahoma , which trains more than 1,200 students, publishes a monthly gymnastics magazine, and manufactures gymnastic equipment.
Along with the Olympians and the Shrivers , Romanian Ambassador Sorin Ducaru and his expectant wife Carmen welcomed Icelandic President Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson , U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, Icelandic Ambassador Helgi Agustsson and his wife Heba , Hungarian Ambassador Andras Simonyi and his wife Nada, and Nicaraguan Ambassador Salvador Stadthagen and his wife Analia .
The spirited gala, Romania 's largest sit-down dinner, was topped with Bart serenading his wife Nadia with “Happy Birthday” in Romanian. Guests were also treated to an impressive classical and jazz piano recital featuring Dan Grigore , Romania 's internationally acclaimed pianist, and Valentin Radu , an artistic director, conductor and pianist.
In closing, Ambassador Ducaru couldn't resist saying that although he is often heard talking about “getting [ Romania ] into” organizations such as NATO, “when it comes to Jazz , Romania is [already] in!”
photo courtesy of the Embassy of Romania