Mary Lou Retton Ben Gabbe/Getty Pictures
Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton is “combating for her life” within the hospital with pneumonia.
The gold medalist’s daughter, McKenna Lane Kelley, took to social media on Tuesday, October 10, to verify that her mom had been hospitalized resulting from issues from the sickness. Kelley, who was a gymnast at Louisiana State College herself, additionally posted a hyperlink to a SpotFund by way of her Instagram Story. To this point, the fundraiser has surpassed its $50,000 aim.
“My wonderful mother, Mary Lou, has a really uncommon type of pneumonia and is combating for her life,” she wrote on the web page. “She is just not capable of breathe on her personal. She’s been within the ICU for over per week now. Out of respect for her and her privateness, I can’t disclose all particulars. Nonetheless, I’ll disclose that she is just not insured.”
She continued: “We ask that should you may assist in any method, that 1) you PRAY! and a couple of) should you may assist us with funds for the hospital invoice. ANYTHING, completely something, can be so useful for my household and my mother. Thank y’all so very a lot!”
There have been no additional specifics about Retton’s, 55, situation nor what hospital she is at.
Whereas competing on the 1984 Summer season Olympics in Los Angeles, California, Retton gained a gold medal for the all-around. She was five-hundredths of a degree behind Romania’s Ecaterina Szabo heading into the ultimate rotation of the competitors, and she or he may solely beat her with an ideal 10 — which she scored.
Mary Lou Retton on October 27, 2000 in Houston, TX. Pam Francis/Getty Pictures
Retton was the primary American lady to win gold at that occasion — and she or he held that title till Carly Patterson grew to become the second lady to realize this in 2004.
She additionally went on to take house two silver medals for workforce and vault and two bronze medals for uneven bars and ground workout routines. Afterwards, she was featured in Sports activities Illustrated’s 1984 “Sportswoman of the Yr” and on the duvet of the Wheaties field.
The next 12 months, she gained the American Cup all-around competitors for the third time. She went on to retire in 1986 and was inducted into the Worldwide Gymnastics Corridor of Fame in 1997.
Exterior of the gymnasium, Retton went on to compete on season 27 of Dancing with the Stars, the place she was partnered with Sasha Farber. The pair finally had been despatched house throughout the present’s sixth week. She additionally made appearances in each movies and TV exhibits together with Glee, Scrooged, Baywatch and Knot’s Touchdown.
She shares 4 daughters with ex-husband Shannon Kelley: Shayla, Skyla, Emma and McKenna.