It really helped me find that woman that I was searching for. View this post on Instagram. Mary Lou Retton is opening up about her divorce from ex-husband Shannon Kelley. if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { Her three other children, all girls, include Shayla (b. ", Houston, she said, "has become home to me. I wanted to tell people why., I knew I wanted to do it in a classy way, she continues. ! she described, adding, We are the loudest and most obnoxious parents [sic] section in the USA!! May Lou five medals on display in her home. While McKenna grew up with a world-famous Olympian, she says that her mom never pressured her into becoming a gymnast. You had to watch ABC, because that was the only place to see us. Thats the same age Retton was when she retired from the sport in 1985 a year after she became the first American woman to win the individual all-around gold medal in gymnastics at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. Team USA Gymnast Earns First Olympic Medal in Floor Final at Tokyo Olympics, Mary Lou Retton Divorces Husband Shannon Kelley After 27 Years of Marriage: 'I Felt Very Alone', Simone Biles Suddenly Exits Women's Team Event but Says She's 'OK' and May Be Back for Other Finals, Aly Raisman, Laurie Hernandez and More Gymnasts React to Simone Biles Bowing Out of Team Final, This UCLA Gymnast Earned a Perfect 10 for Her Epic Floor Routine Watch Her Flip Around the Mat, Sunisa Lee 'Didn't Even Think' She Could Win Gold in Gymnastics All-Around: 'It Was So Emotional', first American woman to win all-around gold at the Olympics, only began pursuing elite gymnastics five years ago, cheer her daughter on at the NCAA championships. RETTON AND SKYLAS RESEMBLANCE DID NOT GO UNNOTICED. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate. Retton is executive producer and star of the show, a series for under-6 set. This move, and many others like it, were removed from the Code of Points of artistic gymnastics due to old-style "belly beat" moves having ceased to be used in bars competitions. It was a doozy, but I'm recovering. As for Kelley, she seemed tickled by her mom's pride. 1995), McKenna (b. Retton recovered and, trailing Szabo entering her final event in the all-around at Los Angeles, received a perfect score of 10.0 on the "vault without fault" to win the gold medal by 0.05 points. [33] Despite these efforts, on February 14, 2018, the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017 was signed into law and became effective immediately. 1 day ago. In her senior year, she scored a 9.8875 in the vault competition at the NCAA Team Finals. Now live in Houston with her husband and their four kids. Theres that fine line between a daughter and a friend, so theres a lot that I couldnt share with them. "I will pick and choose some appearances, but I need to take care of these kids and support them and love them. "I just want them to know that I'm proud of them no matter what, whether they're gymnasts or not, just because they're human.". "Honestly, I don't really give advice or get involved unless asked," she explained. Though Retton admits shes a pretty private person, she decided to share the news about her divorce in such a public manner so that she could be transparent about everything she had been going through. But the equipment today is better, and they train smarter today.". Shes worked really hard to come back from a serious injury, did two events and was ready to do beam tonight. Registered gymnasts will receive a custom GK leotard. Among them, a bona fide gymnastics icon: Kelley's mom, Mary Lou Retton, the first American woman to win an Olympic all-around gold, who was flashing perfect-10 fingers, blowing kisses to Kelley . All four of my children were born here, and my husband is from here. After experiencing increased pain from the condition, she underwent hip replacement surgery on her left hip in her mid-thirties. Reels. 1 day ago, by Yerin Kim She did rack up some impressive scores on the mat in high school, however. How Many Kids Do Ben and Erin Napier Have? Now, she says, shes ready for a new chapter. May Lou Wheaties box on display in her home. Happy Monday! she wrote in the caption alongside several happy face emojis. NO MORE HIGH SCHOOL FOR THIS YOUNG LADY. Verified. sound information and advice to make the smartest, healthiest choices. Skater Gracie Gold 'Overwhelmed' After Emotional Routine Returning from Depression Struggles, All the Olympians Who've Competed on 'Dancing with the Stars', Simone Biles and 'Today' Surprise Sunisa Lee's Father with New Wheelchair: 'This is Amazing', Mary Lou Retton talks about staying healthy for her kids, UCLA Gymnast Who Scored Perfect 10 Officially Finishes Her College Career with Upbeat Routine, Jade Carey Wins Gold! 66.9K followers. RELATED:See Michael Jordan's Three Oldest Kids All Grown Up. [17], Retton's hometown, Fairmont, West Virginia, named a road and a park in the town after her. Wonderful final performance for her career at @LSUgym pic.twitter.com/DR9R83G9P8, Holly Rowe (@sportsiren) April 21, 2019. [18], In 1985, she received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council member General Chuck Yeager. Then check out the performance that earned her that perfect 10 earlier in the season, plus a few other sweet snaps of mother and daughter. Also in 2016, Shayla and her team's pyramid toss scored a 9.9 at a meet against Quinnipiac University. "I travel from January to May watching them compete, and that is the joy of my life. #sbs2019 #proudmamma #threedownonetogo.. By Uplifting Today / April 24, 2019. In fact, in 2016, Retton told ESPN she'd once vowed to Kelley, whose dad is Retton's husband, Shannon Kelley, that she'd try to tone it down. Daughter of Mary Lou Retton and Shannon Kelly Her mother Mary Lou Retton won the gold medal in the all-around at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles Her father Shannon Kelley. Retton won the gold medal in the event. "Back in my day, I was kind of on the cutting edge," Retton said in an interview before Rio. Shayla didn't continue tumbling after college, however. Registered gymnasts will receive a custom GK leotard. She graduated from Baylor University in 2017 with a major in Health Science. All four of their children. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. She earned her Bachelors in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Southern California and has been seen on Good Morning America. McKenna and her mom co-host the women's gymnastics tour, "For Mothers and Daughters Forever Our Legacy." That's all she is.". As to whether she has gotten a chance to step back into the dating pool, Retton says, Not yet!, Im scared a little bit, she says. Just 16 at the time, Retton who underwent knee surgery just five weeks before the Olympics went on to score perfect 10s on both the floor exercises and the vault. 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. One gold, two silver and two bronze. If you have any concerns about the accuracy of our content, please reach out to our editors by e-mailing McKenna, who's now 24, was co-championof the Nastia Liukin Cup, an annual U.S. competition hosted by the former Olympian, in 2014. Retton, 51, was in the audience watching as her daughter's performance earned a sky-high score of 9.95, mere hundredths from the coveted perfect 10. Retired American gymnast, Mary Lou Retton, took to social media to celebrate her look-alike daughter, Skyla's graduation from high school. 1 day ago, by Victoria Edel ** FILE ** Mary Lou Retton is shown during her perfect performance in the floor exercise in the Olympic individual all-around finals of the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Calif., in this Aug. 3, 1984 photo. She scored a total of 79.175 to take the gold medal in individual all around competition. A post shared by Mary Lou Retton (@marylouretton) Im really excited for what this new chapter is going to bring instead of being that scared person that I was a couple of months ago. She emerged from the Olympics as the most photogenic, marketable athlete on the U.S. team, becoming the first female athlete to be depicted on a Wheaties box and launching a life of celebrity that receded but has never gone away. Mary Lou Retton Mary Lou Retton's official Instagram. HOUCHRON CAPTION (12/11/2001): Mary Lou Retton-Kelley puts the final touch on the torch's trek through Houston, lighting up the cauldron at the George R. Brown Convention Center. And I feel like people have a hard time believing that. Retton was every bit the proud mama when she decided to share a picture of herself and her beautiful daughter. I dont think another year of gymnastics could give me anything I needed more, she said, adding that her team at LSU has been so special and she wants to finish her college journey with them. She retired from gymnastics after graduating college, but McKenna is still involved with the sport in her own way. National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association. At 26 years old, Shayla is Retton's eldest daughter. See Her Now. Our LSU parents den!!! So far, Rettons May 25 post has amassed well over 8,000 likes and numerous comments. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your device and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. For Kelley, a senior at LSU, the night was a triumphant personal comeback. Naturally, the reminders and . "McKenna was very . He has been a contributor to Dave Campbell's Texas Football since 1980, serving as high school editor from 1984 through 2000 and as Managing Editor from 1990 through 2004. See Her Now. In 1985, Retton won the American Cup all-around competition for the third and final time. Posts. ")[7] Her father, Ronnie, operated a coal-industry transportation equipment business. She now has her own YouTube channel, which she started in 2015. "No one had ever seen a gymnast like me. Mary Lou Retton (born January 24, 1968) is an American retired gymnast. Please select the topics you're interested in: Would you like to turn on POPSUGAR desktop notifications to get breaking news ASAP? She would be eligible to remain on the team for one more season but the student-athlete says she wont be taking advantage of that opportunity. McKenna Kelley anchors the 2019 NCAA Gymnastics Championships! [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. "I don't think I understood the enormity of what she did and the groundbreaking gymnastics she did at the time," she told Today of Retton in 2019. Later, the proud mom took to Instagram to share a photo with her 22-year-old daughter. She does have the option of returning as a fifth-year senior, however. She went to The University of Texas, where she met her husband, Shannon Kelly, who played quarterback for the Longhorns. Under the Krolyis, Retton soon began to make a name for herself in the U.S., winning the American Cup in 1983 and placing second to Dianne Durham (another Krolyi student) at the US Nationals that same year. Mary Lou Retton a member of the 1984 Olympic gymnastics team won five metals in LA. Its woven into every fabric of my being. The beautiful star was, however, more than happy to share that her grown daughter is on her way into adulthood. She is a frequent analyst for televised gymnastics and attended The University of Texas at Austin after the Olympics.[31]. book to class, Turner: TEA is giving Houston ISD two optionsclose school or be taken over, Two ocelots were photographed crossing a road in rare South Texas sighting, Willie Nelson's new album is a lovely tribute to a fellow country legend. And we trained hard - 70 vaults a day onto hard surfaces. Ronnie and Lois Retton are her parents. [8] She competed in the 1984 Olympic games in Los Angeles, California, during her sophomore year of high school. "She's a hollerer, for sure.". Wherever she ends up next year, shes sure to dazzle. foreverourlegacy.org. [28][29][30] In 2019, Retton became a spokesperson for Australian Dream, a pain relief cream. And like her mom, she couldnt help but share an image of her newly won awards. Skyla is lucky enough to get genes from a renowned talent like Retton, and she now has many of her mother's fans looking forward to her future endeavors. Im excited scared, but excited.. That would be really amazing if I found myself a dancer. 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Instead of pursuing gymnastics, Skyla was on the cheerleading team during her four years of high school. The former Olympic gymnast is executive producer and star of the show, a series for children ages 6 and under. View this post on Instagram #grateful A post. 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. Were a gymnastics family, she shared. Proposed Texas bill gives tax cuts to heterosexual families only, These bites won big at the Houston rodeo's foodie awards, Heres how you can watch 'Daisy Jones and the Six', Here's what Lina Hidalgo carb-loads before a long run, Houston police ticket man for feeding homeless people. She attended Fairmont Senior High School, but did not graduate. Of course, Retton was on hand to cheer her daughter on at the NCAA championships. See Her Now. One gold, two silver and two bronze. Meanwhile, Kelley also later celebrated her second place spot on Instagram, sharing the below photo: Last night, I learned that winning isnt everything; that I dont need a 1st place win to know that I have already won, she wrote in the caption, going on to thank the school, the team and her coaches and other supporters. 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. Mary Lou Retton a member of the 1984 Olympic gymnastics team won five medals in LA. 1,325 following. April 23, 2019 by Haley Velasco With a famous mom like Olympic. Skyla bears a striking resemblance to Retton, and that comes through as the young beauty stood near the renowned sports star. Now live in Houston with her husband and their four kids. Subscribe to @olympics: http://oly.ch/Subscribe America celebrates following this stunning performance in the Women's Individual All-Round Gymnastics com. The teenage beauty was pictured wearing the traditional graduation attire a navy blue graduation gown with oversized sleeves and cap. At the same Olympics, Retton won four additional medals: silver in the team competition and the horse vault, and bronze in the floor exercise and uneven bars. She was coached by Gary Rafaloski. When she was 18, Retton retired from professional gymnastics because she "wanted to be remembered as a winner" and not as "some struggling older athlete," per NBC Sports. Three stuck with it, one was a cheerleader. "I don't think I understood the enormity of what she did and the groundbreaking gymnastics she did at the time," she told Today of Retton in 2019. Last year, the athlete tore her Achilles tendon and spent the season on the sidelines. She did rack up some impressive scores on the mat in high school, however. The couple got married in January 2020. On LSU's senior night in March, Kelley earned her first career perfect 10, with Retton watching from the crowd. "Those kids keep me hopping," she said. Watch Kelley's finals floor routine above (wait until the end to see Retton cheering along). 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. 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. Gymnast Carly Patterson Won Olympic Gold 17 Years Ago. "All my problems came after I had my babies. You can see her performance in the video below, posted to Twitter by sports journalist Holly Rowe, who noted how lucky she felt watching the daughter of the gymnast she once idolized: I idolized @marylouretton now watching her lovely daughter @mckennamckelley is such a cool experience. Are ticket costs pricing Houston Astros fans out of Opening Day? We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. When Louisiana State University gymnast McKenna Kelley nailed the final floor routine of the night at the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships on Saturday, no one was prouder than her mom, Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton. A very touching moment late, as @LSUgym @mckennamckelley performs her final floor routine as a Tiger, with her legendary mother Mary Lou Retton in tears looking on. 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. , Awesome, Youre All Set! I showed the world what the sport was going to be - power and athleticism as opposed to just the graceful, artistic side of things.". "She's a hollerer, for sure." Mary Lou Retton's five medals in the 1984 Olympics: Gold: All-around champion, scoring perfect 10.0s on the vault and floor exercise to win. Gina Vivinetto is a writer for TODAY.com. I think me coming out with that did help a lot of women., For Retton, the opportunity to participate on DWTS came at just the right time following her divorce, as she was looking to get away. 66.9k Followers, 1,325 Following, 744 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from Mary Lou Retton (@marylouretton) marylouretton. var xhr = new XMLHttpRequest(); I popped a rib last week, so thats pretty painful. Retton, who wed Kelley in 1990, says that there wasnt one defining moment that led to their divorce, which was finalized in February. In the clip, she can be seen holding her hands to her heart and blowing a kiss to the audience: Pretty sure we are all McKenna today. All images are used with permission or licensed. [12], Retton divorced her husband in February 2018.[13]. She did not arrive at this point in her life unscathed. The team's last floor routine of the night was a high-octane, floor-pounding performance from McKenna Kelley that earned a score of 9.95, mere hundredths from the coveted perfect 10. Opening up about her decision to step away, Kelley shared that she feels so at peace.. He joined the Houston Chronicle in 1990 after stints at the Dallas bureau of United Press International (1984-90), the Waco Tribune-Herald (1978-84) and the Tyler Morning Telegraph (1975-78). She was in tears as she watched her daughter and her team receive their trophy. Kelley didn't pursue elite gymnastics until she was 17 the same age Retton was when she retired from the sport, just one year after her history-making victory at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. 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. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. "I think people expect this elaborate answer of she made me run at 6 a.m in the morning, but she's just mom to me. Mary Lou Retton, right, and her daughters Shayla Kelley, back left, and McKenna, back right, rush in to hug Samantha Peszek, right, and Alicia Sacramone after Peszek and Sacramone were named to the Olympic team on the final day of the USA Gymnastics Olympic selection camp at Women's National Team Training Center, Saturday, July 19, 2008, in New Waverly, Texas. 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. But that kind of gymnastics has gone. } 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. Mary Lou Retton a member of the 1984 Olympic gymnastics team won five metals in LA. She'll be starting her junior year this fall and is in the Alpha Phi sorority. 08/11/2004 (E. Joe Deering/Chronicle). Agreeing with her daughters remarks, Retton, 51, said that although she enrolled all of her four daughters in gymnastics classes, she didnt put pressure on them., I put my four daughters into a sport that I love. Retton delivered the Pledge of Allegiance with fellow former gymnast and 1996 Olympic gold medalist Kerri Strug on the second night of the 2004 Republican National Convention. Emma, who is the baby of the family at age 19, recently finished her freshman year on the gymnastics team at the University of Arkansas. I just wanted to be authentic. I just felt this is my chance to really be clear and to be transparent to people. McKenna, the second of Retton's four daughters with former Texas quarterback Shannon Kelley, started mommy-and-me gymnastics classes at age 2 and rarely left the gym after that. Sign up for Yahoo Lifes daily newsletter. View this. . She posts videos about her daily life, which often feature her siblings and husband, Wyatt Schrepfer, who also studied at Baylor University. The tour, which will start this November, is open to gymnasts from the beginner competitive level through the junior level. (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. Throughout the process, Retton felt alone, but she had the support of the couple's four daughters: Shayla, 23, McKenna, 21, Skyla, 18, and Emma, 16. We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. "It's not like today, when you get the results before they appear on television. } else { And I just can't help myself!". I hadnt done that in over 30 years. Next is Skyla Kelley, who's 21 years old and studying at Texas Tech University. There will be no immediate honeymoon for Mary Lou Retton, a gold medal . After the show aired, Retton says a lot of people reached out and were surprised to hear that she and Kelley had separated. 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