[4] She first played handball and track and field before turning to fencing at age 13 under Rodica Popescu, a coach at CSS 1 Bucharest, then Maria Vicol.

[4] She also holds a PhD in sport science on the subject of "Contributions to clarifying the relationship between motor intelligence and capacity for effort in high-level fencing" (“Contribuții la clarificarea raportului dintre inteligența motrică și capacitatea de efort în scrima de performanță”).

During her career Carlescu-Badea was a superior officer in the Romanian Army (1988-2004), rising to the rank of colonel.

Badea took part in her first Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992, where she took the team bronze medal along with Reka Szabo, Elisabeta Tufan, Claudia Grigorescu, and Ozana Dumitrescu.

[5] In the team event, Romania was defeated by Italy in the final and took the silver medal.