She won a national novice tumbling championship before age ten.
One day her mother took Bonaly and her tumbling class to the only skating rink in Nice. Bonaly took to skating right away, just as she had to other sports. The rink, however, was located outdoors and could only stay open four months a year. This fact made it difficult for Bonaly to take up skating seriously at an early age.
Hard worker
Despite the limitations of the rink in Nice, Bonaly soon attracted the attention of Didier Gailhaguet, a Paris-based skating coach who worked with top-caliber French athletes. Gailhaguet invited Bonaly to Paris for skating lessons, and the family soon moved to the French capital. "I was impressed with how hard she worked," he recalled in the Chicago Tribune. "It is very rare to find French athletes [who] work so hard."
For two years Bonaly combined tumbling and skating. By age 12 Bonaly could execute difficult triple jumps and decided to give up gymnastics completely and concentrate on skating. Her parents supported the decision, as they realized Bonaly could make more money on the ice. Once she took up skating full time her skills improved rapidly.
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