Strug was trained by the legendary coach Bela Karolyi, and she was a part of the United States national team as a senior member since 1991. In 1992, she won a bronze medal at the Barcelona Olympics. In 1995, she was a member of the gold medal winning team at the World Championships. However, her shining moment came during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, when an injured Strug performed during the States' last chance to win a gold medal, landing perfectly, earning herself a perfect score of 10, and her team the gold medal.
Strug immediately became a national sports hero and her fame reached amazing heights, visiting President Bill Clinton, appearing at various television talk shows, being on the cover of Sports Illustrated and appearing on the cover of Wheaties cereal. Her Olympic moment is regarded by many as one of the greatest Olympic moments ever.
Shortly after her feat, avid autograph signer Strug announced her retirement and enrolled in UCLA, but not before participating on the Ice Capades and Disney's World On Ice tours.