With five other Romanian defectors, Nadia made the dangerous walk in the ice-cold conditions and harsh weather, until they would reach the Hungarian border.
Nadia was reportedly stopped at the border by the Hungarian police who at once recognized the famous gymnast. However, out of pity, they let the gymnast through. They continued on to the Austrian border, where Panait met her before they went together to the US embassy and got a flight to New York City.
Escape Plan
She thought that there was no way out, until 1987. Nadia met Constantin Panait who had escaped Romania some time ago – supposedly by swimming the Danube river. He made it to the U.S. and settled down in Florida where he became a roofer. He offered to help Nadia escape if she wanted.
Despite not really knowing Panait, she was desperate to escape the country. It was potentially a once in a lifetime opportunity to flee Romania for good and turn over a new leaf in the United States. Or so, she imagined in her dreams.
“You go and find a life”
Nadia was frightened that her mother would have a heart attack when she told her the news of what she was planning to do. At first, she confided in her younger brother who she refers to as her best friend. He told her “You go and find a life.” Nadia confesses that she was so scared she would never see her family again.
On the night that she was planning to escape, Nadia’s brother and sister-in-law came with her as near to the Hungarian border as was possible.
Bad-Girl Reputation
When Nadia finally reached America, her arrival generated some negative press and not everyone was in her favor. She was no longer the gymnast darling of the world. She was now a woman who was towering on high heels, with a heavy face of makeup, and a defector. Rumors of her relationship with the Romanian dictator’s son and that she’d left her home country were circulating.
The world certainly didn’t forget her. But, Nadia didn’t receive the warm welcome that she would have hoped for.
Not Alone
Nadia Comăneci wasn’t completely alone when she moved to the United States. In fact, there were several Romanians who had also defected to the US and befriended her. This included none other than her former gymnastics coach, Bela Karolyi.
Karolyi had attempted to reach out to Nadia multiple times after she touched down in the United States, but it turns out that Constantin Panait filtered out Nadia’s calls. Comăneci was completely unaware that people were trying to contact her.