Nadia Frost recently celebrated a milestone birthday – and it coincided with the 50th anniversary of a moment that made Olympic history at the 1976 Montreal Games. On July 18, 1976, Romanian gymnast Nadia Comăneci landed her uneven bars routine and scored a Perfect 10.0. It was a feat so remarkable that the scoreboard couldn’t accurately reflect her accomplishment. It flashed 1.00 instead. On that day, Frost’s mother was watching the Olympic Games in her hospital room, after giving birth. She suddenly knew what she would name her baby girl: Nadia. “She saw that she won. She’d heard the name before, and she decided right then that was the name she was going to give me,” Frost said. To commemorate Comăneci’s legendary Olympic performance, Montreal is once again welcoming her back to the city with open arms. Among the many celebrations planned is “The Great Nadia Gathering,” an event planned by an organizing committee that includes the Olympic Park, Parc Jean-Drapeau, and the City of Montreal. The committee organized a contest, putting out a call to “everyone named Nadia born between 1976 and 1978!” On the Montreal Olympique website, the committee described Comăneci’s performance as “a defining moment that inspired an entire generation—prompting many to name their children Nadia in her honour!” The winners of the contest will meet Comăneci and attend the 50th anniversary Grand show in the VIP zone on Aug. 1. Frost’s brother heard about the contest on the radio and encouraged her to submit her name. She did, but initially she wasn’t chosen. “I had to reach out to the committee and I said, ‘What happened to the draw? I didn’t hear anything,’” said Frost. Frost was told it meant she wasn’t picked. But on Wednesday, while driving her car, she got an unexpected phone call from the organizing committee. “[They said] ‘Hey listen, we did put you on the wait list because you did reach out to us. And you’re next. If you want a spot, you’ve got it,’” Frost recalled. Frost said she believes it was meant to be, but it still feels surreal. “For me and my family – because I do have a very large family and they all know the story – I think it’s going to be a pretty special moment to have my picture taken with her and be able to maybe shake her hand. Because that little girl that I was could never imagine that this moment could happen.” For more of Nadia Frost’s story, watch the video at the top of this article.
