Some stories even said that Bonaly had been abandoned on a beach with coconuts all around her. When Bonaly turned 18, however, her adoptive parents admitted their daughter was born in Nice, but that her biological mother was from Réunion.
Tumbling toddler
Bonaly's parents adopted her as an infant. The Bonalys, who are both white, asked for a nonwhite baby because "they are the babies no one takes." Named "Surya," a Hindu word for "sun," young Bonaly grew up in Nice and later Paris. "I think it is fate that brought us together," Bonaly stated in Sports Illustrated, referring to her and her adopted parents. "I fell on a good family." The Bonaly family took long trips, traveling to places like Finland, Norway, and India. Because they could not afford to fly, the family spent many days traveling in the car.
From an early age Bonaly showed a natural ability for gymnastics and sports of all kinds. Her mother taught tumbling and floor exercises both privately and in schools, so Bonaly began her own tumbling career as a toddler. Within just a few years she improved so much that she qualified to compete in junior meets throughout France.
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