Andreea’s Successor

Original article was published on October 9th in Gazeta Sporturilor

Despite all the stories of gloom and gloom coming out of Deva recently, parents still take their daughters to the legendary gym club, in hopes of helping them become the next Nadia, Ecaterina, Daniela…
Among the current gymnasts, Floarea Leonida is touted as the next star and expected to take over as team leader after Raducan’s retirement.

Born in 1987, Floarea started gymnastics in Bucharest at age 3. She’s worked with coaches Eliza Stoica, Elena Ceampelea and Angela Cacovean and choreographers Arista Mariana and Gheorghe Neagu [at Steaua]. She came to Deva three years ago and this year’s Junior European Championships were her first major competition. She won a gold medal on beam, and three silver medals (in the team, all-around and beam finals) in Patras. Recently, she finished second behind Oana Ban at the Olympic Hopefuls meet held in the Czech Republic. Floarea, who’s even tinier than Raducan hopes and works to become the next start of the Romanian team.

In order to be competitive on the world stage, Floarea has strict program, which just so happens to be the norm for the girls at Deva. She goes to school from 8-10, then goes to her first training session until 1 PM. This is followed by lunch, a short break, another training session from 5-7:30, stretching and conditioning, then dinner and turning in. The next day, same schedule. She’s in 10th grade at school now [sophomore in high school] and gets good grades.

Floarea Leonida has an iron will. “My only goal is to become a great champions. That’s what I prepare for, and I work towards this goal under the guidance of coaches Octavian Belu, Mariana Bitang, Lucian Sandu, Benone Pereteanu. I get along with Andreea very well, just like all my other teammates on the National team. I hope that in time I can become a true leader.” As far as her family situation is concerned, Floarea doesn’t have anything to worry about. “My parents, Maria and Gheorghe Leonida live in Bucharest and they come to see me at Deva about once a month, so I don’t get a chance to miss them too much. I haven’t been to Bucharest since Christmas. My home is here at Deva. My roommate is Monica Rosu from Bacau who came to Deva after I did and we get along really well. I like to watch soap operas and the Atomic station whenever I have free time. I listen to dance music, but also other kinds of music.” When she was young, Floarea would always play with her dolls, which she would line up like gymnasts on the podium and give each of them a medal she would make herself.

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