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Return to Henrietta's Dominion
But one did. Henrietta Onodi, a tiny gymnast who appeared on the American scene in 1987 at the American Cup, reigned as an international superstar in gymnastics and charmed the world at her first Olympic appearance in 1992 in Barcelona, Spain. It was there she won gold for her country on the vault, silver on floor and finished eighth in the all-around.
Henrietta has always had a style all her own, captivating audiences with her incredible skills, dance ability and dazzling personality. Her deep-set green eyes flashed brilliance across the floor and her smile earned her fans from around the world.
The sprite from Bekescasaba, Hungary has kept a low profile since the 1992 Olympics, and few may have noticed that she was back, as elegant as ever, for her second Olympics last summer in Atlanta. She now lives in San Antonio, Texas and is attending school there. I got a chance to talk to Henrietta in May 1995 while she was visiting her boyfriend at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
| Question: | When did you come to the United States and why? |
| Henrietta: | January 1994. I wanted to come here because of the language. I wanted to speak it better and to go to school here because I wasn't sure what I was going to do. |
| Question: | What do you think of Texas? |
| Henrietta: | I like it, I like the weather. I like the people here, they are very nice. What is strange is that it's so huge. Where I come from, the city is so small and everybody kind of knows each other. I didn't need a car in my city, I could ride my bike. So it's kind of strange. |
| Question: | What was your return like in Hungary after the 1992 Olympics? |
| Henrietta: |
(She pauses and a big smile lights up her face) It was great, it was just fabulous! We got to the airport and the airport was full. It was so crowded you couldn't take a step. All the people were clapping and cheering and it was so loud, it was amazing! Then we got back home and the manager of the club told us to go to the gym and he said 'wear your uniform.' So I thought it was going to be a celebration like we always had, just gymnasts and coaches. When I got to the club, there were some policemen on motorcycles, two beautiful cars and they drove my teammate, a swimmer and me all around the town...There were 5,000 people waiting for us and for almost 10 minutes we couldn't say a word because they were clapping and cheering. That's when I really felt that they appreciated what I did and that feels really good. |
| Question: | What was your most memorable moment in your career? |
| Henrietta: | I think the Olympics. I mean, I've been to a lot of competitions and the competition itself is not really that special... But environmentally, the people together, the place...is what makes it so special. |
| Question: | (I asked Henrietta to comment on a number of Olympic gymnasts and this was her response) |
| Henrietta: | Everybody is special somehow. I mean, they all have special personalities and it shows up when they're doing gymnastics. That's why I really can't compare them to each other. That's why gymnastics is not really fair. We are all different...I could find something in them all that I wanted to follow, not copy, but follow. |
| Question: | You always seemed so happy in your performances, it seemed like you really enjoyed what you were doing. |
| Henrietta: | I did! That's why I stayed in it, because I enjoyed it. I wasn't really going for the best place, I was just going for myself, to do my best and show them what I could do. |
| Question: | Do you think you have raised the level of gymnastics in Hungary? |
| Henrietta: | Yeah, sure, a lot! I was the only one who started to show off at an International level. The people started to watch for gymnastics and that's special to me. |
| Question: | What were your feelings when you won the gold on vault and silver on floor in Barcelona? |
| Henrietta: | Oh...(pauses) I don't think I can describe it, it was just amazing...it's a very special feeling. To win a World Championship is great, but to win an Olympic medal it really means that, because it's just every four years, that for the next four years you are the best and everybody knows it. |
| Question: | What was your favorite part of gymnastics? |
| Henrietta: | I liked dance a lot. I like to do different things than the others do. I don't know, I like the whole thing! |
| Question: | What was your favorite place you traveled to? |
| Henrietta: |
I always liked to go home (laughs). I don't know. I just don't have favorite things. I like every country because they are different. You can't say that some country is best because of this and because of that. They are just different. Even in gymnastics, if you have a gold medal, silver or bronze; it doesn't really mean that you are the best. It just means that you are different somehow. I like to travel because I can see different people, different cultures. But I always liked to go home, that's the best part of it. |
| Question: | Do you have any advice for young gymnasts? |
| Henrietta: | I think my advice is to love what they're doing, have fun and enjoy it. Work hard if you really like it and know why you are doing it. You really have to have a goal you want to reach. If you want to reach it, work hard and keep doing it every single day. |
| Question: | How do you want people to remember Henrietta? |
| Henrietta: | As Henrietta (laughs)! Just remember me as a girl from Hungary who did gymnastics. |
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