RELATED:Gymnast Carly Patterson Won Olympic Gold 17 Years Ago. HOUCHRON CAPTION (07/31/2001): Mary Lou Retton talks to actress Alicia Church, who plays "Jumpy," on the set of "Mary Lou's Flip Flop Shop" at KUHT studios. (Not in Picture). ! she described, adding, We are the loudest and most obnoxious parents [sic] section in the USA!! They'll make their remarks with a straight face, even if they're joking. Later, the proud mom took to Instagram to share a photo with her 22-year-old daughter. Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays (8 p.m. But McKenna Kelley, who exhibits the . She earned her Bachelors in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Southern California and has been seen on Good Morning America. HOUCHRON CAPTION (08/19/2004): HOUCHRON CAPTION (08/19/2004): Mary Lou Retton displays the five medals she won in 1984 (gold, two silver, two bronze as a member of the U.S. gymnastics team. HOUCHRON CAPTION (08/19/2004): Retton and her husband live in Houston, far removed from the time when she captured the heart of a nation and graced the cover of the Wheaties box. RELATED:Kerri Strug's Heroic Vault Was 25 Years Ago. [3], Her gold medal win was historic as Retton was the first American woman to win the all-around gold medal in Olympic gymnastics. There were women saying theyve been in the same predicament as myself [with a] long marriage and thanking me for giving them the hope and courage to continue, she says. RELATED:See Michael Jordan's Three Oldest Kids All Grown Up. Having retired from gymnastics after winning an unprecedented third American Cup title in 1985, as noted above, she later had cameo appearances as herself in Scrooged and Naked Gun '"`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000016-QINU`"'33+13: The Final Insult. (AP Photo/Suzanne Vlamis), Mary Lou Retton of the USA is hugged by her coach, Bela Karolyi, following her perfect performance in the floor exercise in Olympic individual all-around finals Friday night, Aug. 3, 1984 in Los Angeles. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. But that kind of gymnastics has gone. [14] She recovered just in time for this most prestigious of tournaments, and in the competition, which was boycotted by the Soviet bloc nations except for Romania, Retton was engaged in a close battle with Ecaterina Szabo of Romania for the all-around gold medal. Ahead of her daughters last outing on the floor, Retton revealed that she told Kelley to make sure to enjoy the moment. Her university profile notes that she finished in fourth place at the Texas State Championship 2016, with a score of 9.8 in vault and 9.675 in floor exercise. In 1985, Retton won the American Cup all-around competition for the third and final time. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton and her daughter, McKenna Kelley, brought their gymnastics invitational to Rhode Island on Friday. When McKenna Kelley nailed her floor routine at the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships, no one was prouder than her mom, Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton. 08/11/2004 (E. Joe Deering/Chronicle). The teenage beauty was pictured wearing the traditional graduation attire a navy blue graduation gown with oversized sleeves and cap. Women who had ovarian cysts share their stories, A sugar replacement may be linked to heart attacks and strokes, but don't throw it out yet. May Lou Wheaties box on display in her home. This year, Kelley is a senior. National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association. 9 of 24 10 of 24 In the backyard play area Mary Lou with her four daughters Shayla,9 McKenna,7 Skyla,4 and Emma,2 Mary Lou Retton a member of the 1984 Olympic gymnastics team won five metals in LA . But who could blame her? Tiger Nation, THANK YOU pic.twitter.com/M5cy5bZWUI. (She shared the title with Mackenzie Brannan.) I just felt this is my chance to really be clear and to be transparent to people. McKenna, who's now 24, was co-champion of the Nastia Liukin Cup, an annual U.S. competition hosted by the former Olympian, in 2014. My close-knit people obviously knew, but not a lot of people knew, she says. At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, she won a gold medal in the individual all-around competition, as well as two silver medals and two bronze medals. Great, Click the Allow Button Above Gymnast Mary Lou Retton made history at the 1984 Summer Olympics when she became the first American woman to win the all-around gold medal. That really was my final routine, she shared, referring to her near-perfect floor routine, which led her team to an overall second-place victory. "All my problems came after I had my babies. That's where I am at this stage of life.". 1 day ago. Though Retton would have liked to stay longer in the competition, shes excited to go back to set in two weeks for the finale and plans on keeping in touch with her pro-dancing partner Sasha Farber. She won gold, 2x Bronze, and 2x Silver medals at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Registered gymnasts will receive a custom GK leotard. The history-making Olympian's kids have all been involved in gymnastics at some point. "I try to make every competition I can," Retton said in a 2016 ESPN feature. On LSU's senior night in March, Kelley earned her first career perfect 10, with Retton watching from the crowd. You see Dance Moms and you see how crazy those moms are and you just assume that an Olympic champion would want her child to be like that. Advertisement "I'm on a really good path, and I'm happy with my life," Retton told People in 2018. It really is home. "My role is to love them no matter what, have that shoulder for them to cry on if they're hurt or frustrated," she explained to Parade. Im scared!, I guess I got to find myself a dancer, dont I? she adds. Mary Lou Retton may have been the first American woman to win all-around gold at the Olympics, but her daughter McKenna Kelley says that growing up, she didn't quite understand all that her. ': What Happened to the Stars of the Iconic Series through the Years, Csar Domboy's Girlfriend: All We Know about the 'Outlander' Star's Dating History, Girl Bans Single Mom from Her Graduation after Learning She Works as a Cleaner Story of the Day, Pat Sajaks Son Insists the Star Calls Him Dr Sajak While His Daughter Follows in His Footsteps - Meet Them, Woman Visits Orphanage She Left 16 Years Ago and Sees a Girl Who Is Her Carbon Copy There Story of the Day. Kelley is a senior at LSU, which means this may have been her last performance with the team. Mary Lou Retton (born January 24, 1968) is an American retired gymnast. And I just can't help myself!". May Lou five medals on display in her home. 08/11/2004 (E. Joe Deering/Chronicle). Kelley is a senior, which means this might be her final season; she has one year left of eligibility but isn't sure whether she'll use it. She was one of the most beautiful gymnasts I've ever seen. She and her wife, Molly, are the proud moms of two formerly stray cats, Sophie and Pierre, and a rescue dog named Gracie. My daughters were amazing, she says. She'll be starting her junior year this fall and is in the Alpha Phi sorority. I hadnt done that in over 30 years. Mary Lou Retton | Bio, Age, Career, Husband, Kids, Retirement, Salary RETTON AND SKYLAS RESEMBLANCE DID NOT GO UNNOTICED. Also in 2016, Shayla and her team's pyramid toss scored a 9.9 at a meet against Quinnipiac University. Advertisement Retton was every bit the proud mama when she decided to share a picture of herself and her beautiful daughter. [] ")[7] Her father, Ronnie, operated a coal-industry transportation equipment business. This wasn't her only win at the games; she also won silver in the team and vault competitions, along with bronze medals in uneven bar and floor exercise. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Fast-forward today, and that's all you see because that is how the sport has evolved to benefit powerful, athletic gymnasts. But Kelley seems to be handling these expectations without breaking a sweat, as evidenced by her recent performance in the NCAA championships. Mary Lou Retton cheers gymnast daughter's near-perfect routine When McKenna Kelley nailed her floor routine at the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships, no one was prouder than her mom,. We adhere to structured guidelines for sourcing information and linking to other resources, including Her university profile notes that, as a junior, Shayla qualified in three events at the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association's Individual Championships and won one. All four of their children have been involved with gymnastics, like their mom, who, at 53, is working in sports once again, managing a new competitive tour. And yet, more than 30 years later, the Sports Illustrated headline of Aug. 13, 1984, rings true: Mary Lou Retton laughs appreciatively at the notion that, at age 48 and the mother of four daughters, she has been regarded as the greatest of all American female gymnasts, even surpassing those who jump higher, run faster and perform skills in the 21st century she never dreamed of accomplishing in the 20th - at least until Biles' performance in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. After nearly 30 years of marriage, the couple divorced in 2018, but they still share their four daughters: Shayla Kelley, McKenna Kelley, Skyla Kelley, and Emma Kelley. Retton is credited as the first American female gymnast to win gold in the all-around competition at the Olympics. if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { The retired Olympic gold-medal-winning gymnast revealed her split from her husband of 27 years publicly for the first time on Monday nights episode of Dancing with the Stars before being eliminated. [11] Together they have four daughters: Shayla (born 1995), McKenna (born 1997), a former NCAA gymnast at Louisiana State University, Skyla (born 2000), and Emma (born 2002). Our LSU parents den!!! A post shared by Mary Lou Retton (@marylouretton), Even with four kids who've done gymnastics, Retton has never been tempted to coach them herself. Meet Details - MeetMaker 08/11/2004 (E. Joe Deering/Chronicle). Mary Lou Retton a member of the 1984 Olympic gymnastics team won five medals in LA. But she and her siblings were never forced to continue doing it if they didn't want to, which McKenna noted to Tiger Rag, an LSU magazine. "It's not like today, when you get the results before they appear on television.