Nadia Comăneci: A century of history with many good or less good things, but a century that has shown us that we are a great nation

I have always wondered where that strong, deep emotion or thrill comes which you feel when you hear or see certain national symbols. I had this feeling when I was in a competition and I still have the same feeling today, when I am present at competitions where Romanian athletes win trophies. The Romanian anthem, the flag, a traditional costume from a certain part of the country, the sweet Moldavian way of speaking, the mild Transylvanian speech or the harsh one of the South, the moments in the history of my country make me part of this nation. The return to history, to the values of our nation, the honour shown to our ancestors and their deeds that led to the creation of this nation, make us a stronger people, a people who have managed to cross centuries and create their own identity. 2018, 1918, a century since the Great Union, a century of history with many good or less good things, but a century that has shown us that we are a great nation. A nation that in 2018 must regain the desire for unity, of belonging and participating in a larger project for the country, through a celebration of the past and an investment in the future.