Ponor was born with a congenital heart defect, but that hasn’t stopped her from scaling the heights of competitive gymnastics. The 24-year old veteran led Romania to its last team Gold at an Olympics during the 2004 Games in Athens. She also earned golds on balance beam and floor exercise. She retired at the end of 2007, but Romania’s famed coach Octavian Belu managed to coax her back to the gym in March 2011. In London she underperformed during qualifications, failing to complete a triple twist on floor, and wobbling slightly on the beam. She still managed to make the event finals on both events. With the nerves out of her system, Ponor could add a few more Olympic medals to her treasure chest.