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Mary Lou Retton
Photo By US Health and Human Services –

10 Astonishing Facts About Mary Lou Retton

Mary Lou Retton is a retired American gymnast. She was the first American woman to win an individual Olympic gold medal in gymnastics.

Mary Lou Retton was born on 24^th January 1968 in Fairmont, West Virginia. Her parents were Lois and Ronnie Retton. She was the youngest of five children.

When she was 4 years, her mother signed her up for dance classes and gymnastics classes at West Virginia University. She was enjoying the gymnastics classes and was always looking forward to the training.

By the age of 12, Retton had become dedicated to gymnastics and was competing in national and international competitions. She attended Fairmont Senior High School, but she didn’t complete her studies there.

Here are 10 Astonishing facts about her.

1. Watching the Olympic Games on TV Inspired Her

At a very young age, Retton had an interest in watching sports on Tv. She had seen Olga Korbut skate in the 1972 Olympics for the Soviet Union and she identified with her courage and vigor.

Four years later, it was Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci who caught her eye, inspiring her dreams of winning the Olympic gold.

2. Qualifying for Olympics

Gold, Silver and Bronze medals. –

She moved to Houston, Texas when she was 14 years to study and train with gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi, a Romanian who had previously coached Comaneci. She enjoyed the rigorous gymnastics schedule. The training was 8-10 hours a day.

One month after beginning her training with Karolyi, her team went to Madison Square Garden in New York, for the McDonald’s American Cup Competition. She wasn’t ranked high enough to be invited but she went as a substitute.

At some point, she replaced an injured teammate. She set a meet record, winning the competition and putting her in contention for the 1984 Olympics only two years away. She participated in and won 14 all-around competitions in a row.

3. Winning Gold at 16 Years

President Reagan with Mary Lou Retton and the 1984 United States Olympic team at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles California on 13th August 1984. Photo By Reagan White House Photographs –

After winning her second American Cup, the U.S. Nationals, and the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1984, Retton suffered a knee injury. She had sat down to sign autographs when she felt her knee lock, forcing her to undergo an operation five weeks before the 1984 Summer Olympics, 

When the Olympics time came, Retton not only won the gold but also won two silver and two bronze medals. She achieved perfect scores in two events, that is the floor exercise and vault to acquire the amazing victory.

She was the first female athlete from America to win a gold medal in the all-around event at the Olympic Games.

Her performance made her one of the most popular athletes in the United States.

4. Early Retirement

Retton retired at 18 years. After the Olympics, she participated in a few competitions where she excelled. She wanted to be remembered as a winner and not as some struggling older athlete so she chose retirement.

After this, she became a motivational speaker and a television commentator.  

5. Marriage and Family

She went to The University of Texas, where she met Shannon Kelly. He was the University’s quarterback at the time. They dated and got married in 1990. Later, he got into real estate development and now works for the Houston Baptist University athletic department.

Together they have four daughters: Shayla (born 1995), McKenna (born 1997), Skyla (born 2000), and Emma (born 2002).  

Retton divorced her husband in February 2018, after 28 years of marriage.

6. Her Daughters and Gymnastics

Cheerleaders Photo By youraddresshere –

All four of their children have been involved with gymnastics. Retton’s eldest daughter Shayla graduated from Baylor University in 2017 with a major in Health Science. She was on the school’s acrobatics and tumbling team throughout college.

McKenna their second, played gymnastics up to Louisiana State University. In her senior year, she scored a 9.8875 in the vault competition and scored a perfect 10 on a floor exercise against Oregon State University.  

McKenna retired from gymnastics but she co-host’s the women’s gymnastics tour ‘’For Mothers and Daughters Forever Our Legacy’’ alongside her mum.

Skyla their third, did gymnastics as a child, starting at the age of three. However, She and her siblings were never forced to pursue gymnastics. Skyla chose the cheerleading team instead. She has also participated in several cheer competitions.

Emma, who is the baby of the family, finished her freshman year on the gymnastics team at the University of Arkansas. This is a family of athletes.

7. Awards and Honors

America’s sweetheart has been honored severally. In 1985, she received the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement. She has a road and a park named after her in Fairmont, West Virginia, her hometown.

She was inducted into the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1992, into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1997, and was the first woman to be inducted into the Houston Sports Hall of Fame in 2020.

8. Endorsements

Retton has been featured in adverts and commercials severally. She was a spokeswoman for the U.S. drugstore chain Revco and was the first female athlete to be pictured on the front of a Wheaties box,

Others include a pain relief cream, bowling, shampoo, and many other products.

9. Member of a National Council

John Burke; J. Nick Baird, Mary Lou Retton; and Joe Ellis at the meeting of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports in 2006
Photo By Council on Physical Fitness and Sports –

Retton was a member of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports in 2004. This is an American government organization that aims to promote, encourage and motivate Americans of all ages to become physically active and participate in sports. It is part of the Office of Public Health and Science, an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services.

When the â€˜Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017^’ was introduced in Congress, she and other members of USA Gymnastics met with the bill sponsor, to convince her to drop the bill. They failed and the bill was signed into law and became effective immediately.

10. Dancing with the Stars

Retton appeared as a contestant on the 27th season of Dancing with the Stars, partnered with Sasha Farber. They were eliminated on Week 6 in 9th Place.

Other shows that she has acted in include, Knots Landing, Baywatch, An Evening at the Improv, Naked Gun 33 1/3: The Final Insult, and Glee, among others.