Olympian Mary Lou Retton Is Fighting for her Life in Hospital

May 2024 · 3 minute read

Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton is “fighting for her life” in the hospital with pneumonia.

The gold medalist’s daughter, McKenna Lane Kelley, took to social media on Tuesday, October 10, to confirm that her mother had been hospitalized due to headaches from the illness. Kelley, who was once a gymnast at Louisiana State University herself, additionally posted a link to a SpotFund by the use of her Instagram Story. To date, the fundraiser has surpassed its $50,000 goal.

“My amazing mom, Mary Lou, has a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life,” she wrote on the page. “She is no longer in a position to respire on her own. She’s been in the ICU for over every week now. Out of appreciate for her and her privacy, I can no longer expose all details. However, I will be able to disclose that she is not insured.”

She endured: “We ask that if it's good to help in any approach, that 1) you PRAY! and a pair of) if it is advisable help us with funds for the hospital bill. ANYTHING, absolutely anything, would be so helpful for my circle of relatives and my mother. Thank y’all so very a lot!”

There had been no further specifics about Retton’s, 55, condition nor what hospital she is at.

While competing on the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California, Retton gained a gold medal for the all-around. She used to be five-hundredths of some degree at the back of Romania’s Ecaterina Szabo heading into the final rotation of the competition, and he or she may just simplest beat her with a great 10 — which she scored.

Retton was once the primary American girl to win gold at that match — and she or he held that name till Carly Patterson became the second one woman to achieve this in 2004.

She also went directly to take house two silver medals for team and vault and two bronze medals for asymmetric bars and floor exercises. Afterwards, she was featured in Sports Illustrated’s 1984 “Sportswoman of the Year” and at the quilt of the Wheaties box.

The following year, she won the American Cup all-around festival for the third time. She went directly to retire in 1986 and was once inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997.

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Outside of the gym, Retton went on to compete on season 27 of Dancing with the Stars, where she used to be partnered with Sasha Farber. The pair in the long run were sent house all the way through the show’s 6th week. She additionally made appearances in both films and TV displays together with Glee, Scrooged, Baywatch and Knot’s Landing.

She stocks four daughters with ex-husband Shannon Kelley: Shayla, Skyla, Emma and McKenna.

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