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Mariana was born in Yerevan, Armenia to an athletically oriented family and from a very early age she was exposed to the world of sports. Her father was a former field hockey player and a coach. Her Mother had been a twelve time National champion, and was a member of the Soviet Union's National team of Rhythmic Gymnastics.
Mariana began gymnastics at the age of twelve and after six years of training and hard work she qualified for the National Championships of Armenia in 2001, winning the titles of All-Around first place in the floor exercise and clubs routine. Her greatest achievement was presented to her at the closing ceremony on the fourth day of competitions, when Mariana was presented with the title of the "Miss Elegance 2001" award, an award that had not been titled since her mother won the honor in 1976. As a member of Armenia's national team she accomplished much success by competing locally and internationally. Upon returning to the United States Mariana began pursuing a profession as a choreographer and a performer as well as coaching at the gym where she also trained. While Mariana and her long time teammates are accomplished independent performers, they have become affiliated with a diverse range of athletes and dancers and have had much success traveling abroad and astounding audiences everywhere. Among their many projects is the 2002 "Abravida show," which they performed with former cirque du soleil artists.
In May of 2003 Mariana received an invitation to join the four-month training camp in Yerevan Armenia for a chance to participate in the 2003 World Championships of Rhythmic gymnastics in Budapest, Hungary. After qualifying among the top three, a devastating back injury just one week prior to competitions put a heavy setback on her dreams. She was advised by her doctors to retire.
Mariana is currently a junior at the University of Eastern Oregon's Distance Division where she is pursuing a bachelor's degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics. Gymnastics has remained a significant part of her life as she continues her career as a professional performer while coaching to preserve the artistry of the sport and pass down her love of gymnastics to a younger generation of gymnasts.
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