Anastasia Valeryevna “Nastia” Liukin is a Russian-American artistic gymnast. She is the 2008 Olympic individual all-around Champion, the 2005 and 2007 World Champion on the balance beam, and the 2005 World Champion on the uneven bars. She is also a four-time all-around U.S. National Champion, winning twice as a junior and twice as a senior. With nine World Championships medals, seven of them individual, Liukin is tied with Shannon Miller for the second-highest tally of World Championship medals (among US gymnasts),
Liukin also tied Miller’s record as the American gymnast having won the most medals in a single non-boycotted Olympic Games. Grace and beauty in the sport of gymnastics led Nastia Liukin to her crowning achievement at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, but winning five medals was only the beginning for this golden girl. Anastasia “Nastia” Liukin was born in Moscow, Russia.
The only child of Valeri and Anna Liukin, Nastia was raised by world-class athletes. Her father won four medals at the 1988 Olympic Games, including two gold medals, and her mother was a 1987 rhythmic gymnastics world champion. When Nastia was two and a half years old, her parents decided to move from Russia to the USA where they reside today. They worked as gymnastic coaches so it was only natural that Nastia found herself in the gym from a very young age. Unable to afford a babysitter during their early years in the USA, Valeri and Anna were forced to bring Nastia to the gym while they worked. The gym was the ultimate playground, “I was always running around and on the bars, and that’s kind of how I started,” she remembers. Soon Nastia began mimicking the other children in the gym even copying and performing their floor routines at the side of the gym.
Her parents, all too aware of just how tough the sport can be, never intended for Nastia to become a gymnast – certainly not at the elite level. However it was difficult to ignore her talent and her desire to be involved in gymnastics. Nastia began competing earlier than most at the age of six. She excelled at the sport from the very beginning, winning competitions and fans worldwide.
Nastia has won nine world medals (four gold and five silver), which ties the mark of nine world medals held by Shannon Miller. She was a member of the 2007 World Championships that won the team gold medal, which was the U.S. women’s second world team title in U.S. history.
At the 2008 Olympic Games, Nastia tied the U.S. gymnastics record of five medals at one Olympic Games set by Mary Lou Retton in 1984 and matched by Shannon Miller in 1992. Nastia’s Olympic medal haul includes one gold (all-around), three silver (team, balance beam and uneven bars) and one bronze (floor exercise). She garnered the most medals of any gymnast at the 2008 Olympic Games. She in one of only four American women to win the all-around Olympic gold: Mary Lou Retton, Carly Patterson, Nastia Lukin and this summer’s champion Gabby Douglas.
Upon her return from Beijing, Nastia became America’s sweetheart, gracing covers of US Weekly, WWD Beauty Biz, the front of the iconic Wheaties cereal box, and making several television appearances on TV programs including the hit show Gossip Girl, NBC’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno, HBO’s Costas NOW, the Oprah Winfrey Show and in the hit film “Stick It”.
MSNBC named Nastia the 2nd most marketable athlete around the same time that she appeared in Glamour Magazine as one of “The 11 greatest bodies on Earth.” Nastia received such honors as the Women’s Sports Foundation’s “Individual Sportswoman of the Year”, the United States Sports Academy’s “Female Athlete of the Year”, USA
Gymnastics’ Sportswoman of the Year in 2008 and “Best Female Athlete” at the 2009 ESPY Awards.
Nastia retired from competition after the Beijing Olympics but continued to support Team USA by becoming the athlete’s rep for USA Gymnastics. In early 2012, she realized just how much she missed competition and the possibility of competing at one more Olympic Games. She threw herself into training and was considered a stand out to make the US Olympic team. However, at the team finals, Nastia fell off the uneven bars and crashed to the mat. Instead of walking off knowing that there was no way of making the team, she got back up on the bars and finished her routine. Nastia’s life as a competitive gymnast ended that day to a standing ovation of 17,000 people.
Nastia continues to support gymnasts across the country with her annual Nastia Liukin Cup which brings the best young gymnasts together in a national competition. To transcend her life beyond the gym, Nastia is focused on brand positioning centered around promoting healthy living for young women. Her message is about fighting teen obesity, getting kids active, and helping kids to set and achieve their own goals and dreams. Her sponsors include Subway, Visa, American Athletic Inc. and TIGI Bed Head. This spring, Nastia will launch the Nastia Liukin Line of sporting apparel by Ten Tree. As the name suggests, for every item purchased, ten trees will be planted. Nastia also speaks to audiences world-wide about her own journey as an athlete and her advice to parents on how to raise your child to think like an Olympian.
Last fall, she was a member of the creative team and a cast member for the Kellogg’s Tour of Olympic Champions, a national, 40-city tour that followed the 2012 Olympic Games.
She remains an Ambassador for the sport by serving as an athlete representative for both the Federation of International Gymnastics and USA Gymnastics along with work as a television analyst for NBC. In January 2013, Liukin became a full time student at New York University.
Achievements of Nastia Liukin
Olympic Games
Gold 2008 Beijing All-Around
Silver 2008 Beijing Team
Silver 2008 Beijing Uneven Bars
Silver 2008 Beijing Balance Beam
Bronze 2008 Beijing Floor Exercise
World Championships
Gold 2007 Stuttgart Team
Gold 2005 Melbourne Uneven Bars
Gold 2005 Melbourne Balance Beam
Gold 2007 Stuttgart Balance Beam
Silver 2006 Aarhus Team
Silver 2005 Melbourne All-Around
Silver 2006 Aarhus Uneven Bars
Silver 2007 Stuttgart Uneven Bars
Silver 2005 Melbourne Floor Exercise
Pan American Games
Gold 2003 Santo Domingo Team
Gold 2003 Santo Domingo Balance Beam
Gold 2007 Rio de Janeiro Team
Silver 2003 Santo Domingo All-Around
Silver 2007 Rio de Janeiro Uneven Bars
Silver 2007 Rio de Janeiro Balance Beam
Bronze 2003 Santo Domingo Uneven Bars
Bronze 2003 Santo Domingo Floor Exercise
Pacific Rim Championships
Gold 2006 Honolulu Team
Gold 2006 Honolulu All-around
Gold 2006 Honolulu Uneven bars
Gold 2008 San Jose Team
Gold 2008 San Jose All-around
Gold 2008 San Jose Balance Beam
Silver 2006 Honolulu Balance Beam
Silver 2008 San Jose Uneven bars
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Nastia Liukin is five times Olympic medalist and Nine times World Championship medalist in artistic gymnastics. She is in conversation with Namita Nayyar President Women Fitness.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You started doing gymnastics at an early age of six years and competed in your first National Championships as a junior in 2002, at the age of 12 1/2 years.
You reached the pinnacle of success in artistic gymnastics when you won gold in individual all-around champion at 2008 Olympic Games at Beijing and also four other Olympic medals. What factors you consider were responsible that made you achieve that?
Ms. Nastia Liukin:
There are many factors that are responsible for achieving any kind of goal like this. First is obviously to set that goal for yourself, but also remembering to set not just long term goals- like the Olympics were for me- but short term goals as well. It’s important to set daily, weekly, monthly goals to feel like you’re striving to achieve something on a daily basis.
While any amount of talent is helpful, that will only get you so far. Hard work and discipline, are far more beneficial factors to achieving any kind of accomplishment. And believing in your goals no matter how many people tell you that they are impossible, is crucial.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Your father Valeri Liukin and mother Anna Liukin were world-class athletes. You father won four medals at the 1988 Olympic Games including two gold medals in gymnastics and your mother was a 1987 rhythmic gymnastics world champion. Your father teamed with another former Soviet champion athlete, Evgeny Marchenko and started the World Olympic Gymnastics Academy (WOGA) in Plano. How this formidable gymnastics background was a catalyst in making you a world leading olympic gymnast.
Ms. Nastia Liukin:
My parents moved to the United States with hardly any money, not a word of English and a dream to open up a gymnastics school and one day coach their own athletes on to the World Championships and Olympic Games. They never even dreamed it would one day be their own daughter. Seeing them work so hard day after day, penny after penny, to try to achieve their dreams made me believe anything is possible if you set your mind to something and work hard every single day.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You have innovated your own mesmerizing style of artistic gymnastics. Elaborate on your winning artistic gymnastics concept.
Ms. Nastia Liukin:
I was a very different gymnast than most of my teammates and competitors. At 5’3 I was the tallest of our team, so that already gave my gymnastics style a different flare. I was never as strong as the other girls, but I worked twice as long to get as strong as I needed to be, the be competitive with them. I also wanted to perform routines that were unique, and had a “wow” factor.
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Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What exercises comprise your fitness regime or workout routine you shall like to share?
Ms. Nastia Liukin:
My training has changed quite a bit in the last two years. For over ten years of my life I trained 7 hours a day, 6 days a week. As I have finished my competitive career, I have learned so much about my body and what type of workouts work best for me. While everyone has different needs and benefits from different types of workout, my body responses best to a combination of running, Pilates (reformer) and yoga. I do change it up every now and then and love trying to workout classes with friends such as Soul
Cycle, kick boxing or Barre classes.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Do you take some special diet or have a strict menu that you follow to remain healthy and physically fit?
Ms. Nastia Liukin:
I don’t really follow or believe in a specific diet other than trying to eat organic, clean and unprocessed food. Having a well-balanced menu is very critical. I don’t eat much red meat, but I love fish and occasionally chicken.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You have glowing skin and gorgeous hair. Do you take some kind of skin treatment to keep it young and glowing and secondly, what do you do to your hair to make it look so stunning?
Ms. Nastia Liukin:
Water, water and more water. Staying hydrated is the number one most important thing, not only for your skin and hair, but for your whole body. (Especially when traveling!!!) I wash my face in the morning and evening before bed, but also after every workout. Eating healthy fats/oils (such as avocado, salmon, etc) are also great benefits to glowing skin and healthy hair. I also love coconut oil… Using it as a moisturizer for your face before going to sleep is great or even using it as a mask for your hair occasionally.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Advice and motivational words to the inspiring and budding artistic gymnastics girls who all are your fans, they shall like to know from you, what they should do for their climb to ladder of success in field of artistic gymnastics ?
Ms. Nastia Liukin:
Setting daily, weekly, monthly goals, as well as a long term goal. I created a vision board for myself with images of my goals, whether it was an Olympic medal or an Eiffel Tower (I had always wanted to visit Paris) Seeing these things every morning when you wake up reminds you of your goals and gets you motivated for the day.
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Ms. Namita Nayyar:
How did you feel before and after winning two golds at 2005 World Championships in Melbourne at Uneven Bars and Balance Beam category ?
Ms. Nastia Liukin:
Melbourne will forever be one of my most memorable competitions of my career. Being crowned “world champion” for the first time in my career was something I will remember so vividly for many years to come. I remember having dinner with my parents that evening and telling them I had dreamed about this moment for so many years, and finally I was a World Champion, just like both of them.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
Who has been your greatest influencer and motivator in your success in the field of your career in competitive artistic gymnastics ?
Ms. Nastia Liukin:
My parents have been my greatest influencer and motivator both in my gymnastics career and now just in life. As I’ve gotten older I have realized how incredible it was that they moved halfway across the world with a baby (me), no money and just a dream. Exactly 20 years later, they have 3 successful gymnastics schools in the Dallas area with over 3,000 kids. It truly made me believe anything is possible, even against all odds.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
You acted in April 2006 Touchstone Pictures film “Stick It”, a 2008 episode of Gossip Girl and a quick cameo appearance on the Bravo TV show “NYC Prep” and has appeared in numerous television shows. Tell us about yours endeavor of acting and appearances on TV ?
Ms. Nastia Liukin:
I really enjoyed the cameos I had in Stick It and Gossip Girl, but I don’t necessarily have a real desire to pursue acting. If an opportunity for another cameo came around, I would definitely love to take that opportunity. I met some of the most talented people who have worked their entire lives to be professionals in their career, just as I did in gymnastics.
I am now a gymnastics analyst and correspondent for NBC Olympics, which I really enjoy. Gymnastics has been my number one passion since I can remember. Being able to continue that passion on the other side things have been something I really enjoy. I know I’m not an expert (yet!) but I believe you have to start somewhere and with every event you gain knowledge and experience.
Ms. Namita Nayyar:
What you wish to say about the website Womenfitness.net and message for its visitors?
Ms. Nastia Liukin:
I’ve been a fan of the website so I’m excited to have given all the readers a little glimpse into my life, as my competitor career has come to an end and I know I am transitioning into the second phase of my life. I have met and learned from some of the most incredible people during my journey, and now I love being able to share those things now.
To know more about Nastia Liukin: Check out at: http://www.nastialiukin.com
Women Fitness Team thanks Nastia Liukin for giving her valuable time for this interview and quenching the thirst of her fans to know more about her and also wish to thank Caity Cudworth, Joann Mignano and Gabrielle Aboodi from Krupp Kommunications who made this interview happen.
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All content on this site is copyright of Women Finess and no part of any article found on this site may be reproduced without an express permission and highlighted, do follow link crediting http://www.womenfitness.net/ or preferably the original page as the source. This interview is exclusive and taken by Namita Nayyar President womenfitness.net and should not be reproduced, copied or hosted in part or full anywhere without an express permission.