Four years ago, when Natalie was 16, she made friends with a group of local boys.

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In college, she made friends with many undocumented immigrants who struggled to pay for their education with the fear of deportation looming.

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Winning medals is important, but there is also a strong social element to the games and she looks forward to meeting up with the friends she has made over the years.

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She made few friends in the European Community either, with her "handbagging" and insistence on a rebate for excessive British budget contributions.

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She also appeared frequently with Senator John Breaux, an immensely popular Louisiana Democrat, made friends with Mr Fields and other black leaders, and touted endorsements from local politicians, some of them Republicans.

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She said she had not made any new friends in Internet chat rooms, but used e-mail to keep up with existing ones.

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