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. Last year, the athlete tore her Achilles tendon and spent the season on the sidelines. 2022 Galvanized Media. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. A lot of people were surprised.. 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. Unlike her older sisters, Skyla isn't involved in collegiate gymnastics. 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 . RELATED: Nadia Comneci Scored a Perfect 10 at the Olympics 45 Years Ago. They have been married for 25 years and have four daughters - Shayla, a member of Baylor University's national champion acrobatics and tumbling team; McKenna, a gymnast at LSU; Skyla, who attends Second Baptist School; and Emma, a potential elite gymnast who trains at Stars Gymnastics in west Houston. That was a big part of my struggle the last few years do I do it? To see Mary Lou Retton's four daughters, read about their accomplishments in the gym, and hear more about her family, read on. 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. 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. 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, and getting tearful as she watched her daughter's team take home the runner-up trophy. Former gymnast and Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton was at the Rhode Island Convention Center hosting a gymnastics meet. A women's gymnastics competition tour open to USA Gymnastics, NGA, & AAU levels 1-10 and Xcel divisions. by Njera Perkins "Her voice is so distinct, and I can always hear it in the crowd," Kelley said. "McKenna was very . She earned her Bachelors in Broadcast Journalism at the University of Southern California and has been seen on Good Morning America. I dont think the ex told anybody, but thats just coming from me that could be wrong. . Happy Monday! She also posts frequently about her mom and dad. You had to watch ABC, because that was the only place to see us. For Kelley, a senior at LSU, the night was a triumphant personal comeback. Show More Posts from marylouretton. 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"No one had ever seen a gymnast like me. This is your last routine, she shared. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. NO MORE HIGH SCHOOL FOR THIS YOUNG LADY. Mary Lou Retton was born on January 24, 1968, in the United States in Fairmont, West Virginia. The tour benefits The McKenna Kelly Foundation, which donates to non-profits focusing on mental health. My last thought to you was, Remember this. My words were, remember this, baby girl. 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. Mary's father was also a former collegiate basketball player. "I travel from January to May watching them compete, and that is the joy of my life. She also competed in multiple club gymnastics competitions when she was in high school. LSU finished second at the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships on Saturday, its fourth second-place finish since 2014, behind champions Oklahoma and ahead of third-place finishers UCLA. It really is home. Mary Lou Retton is an American retired gymnast and Olympian. But 30 years ago, the equipment we worked on wasn't so forgiving. 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. But my mom never, ever put pressure on us. By Uplifting Today / April 24, 2019. Later, the proud mom took to Instagram to share a photo with her 22-year-old daughter. if( 'moc.enilnoefiltseb' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { She and her wife, Molly, are the proud moms of two formerly stray cats, Sophie and Pierre, and a rescue dog named Gracie. She was also on the school's acrobatics and tumbling team for all four years. [4][5], Mary Lou Retton was born on January 24, 1968, in Fairmont, West Virginia. Fast-forward today, and that's all you see because that is how the sport has evolved to benefit powerful, athletic gymnasts. Did having her mom there make Kelley nervous? McKenna and her mom co-host the women's gymnastics tour, "For Mothers and Daughters Forever Our Legacy." xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8'); She then decided to move to Houston, Texas, to train under Romanians Bla and Mrta Krolyi, who had coached Nadia Comneci before their defection to the United States. "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.". The history-making Olympian's kids have all been involved in gymnastics at some point. RELATED: Kerri Strug's Heroic Vault Was 25 Years Ago. They'll make their remarks with a straight face, even if they're joking. [] Retton was born with hip dysplasia, a condition that her years as a competitive gymnast aggravated. The LSU Gymnastics team also commemorated the special moment online, tweeting an image of Kelley during her routine. [2] Her performance made her one of the most popular athletes in the United States. "McKenna was very . "She's never made us feel like we had . After all, Retton was the first American woman to ever win an Olympic all-around gold at the 1984 summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. "It's not like today, when you get the results before they appear on television. Senior night topped off with a PERFECT 10 on the floor #priceless #beyondproud #mckennasmom," she gushed in the caption. See Her Now. At 26 years old, Shayla is Retton's eldest daughter. The tour benefits The McKenna Kelly Foundation, which donates to non-profits focusing on mental health. Registered gymnasts will receive a custom GK leotard. xhr.send(payload); 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. 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. AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. I havent officially announced this, but I have decided to graduate with my senior class. The perfect tummy control bodysuit, a popcorn gadget, more bestsellers starting at $8. ET) on ABC. "I will pick and choose some appearances, but I need to take care of these kids and support them and love them. 66.9K followers. And while she may not share the same athletic interests as her family, they're still close. However, Skyla did do gymnastics as a child, starting at the age of three. 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. She has done an amazing job.. (Retton lives in Houston, and the show is filmed in Los Angeles. 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. ")[7] Her father, Ronnie, operated a coal-industry transportation equipment business. "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. The tiny powerhouse, who was dubbed "America's sweetheart" at the time, left Los Angeles with two additional silver medals and two bronzes the most won by any athlete during that summer's games, which was boycotted by the Soviet Union and the East bloc. In the photo, the mother-daughter duo were all smiles with Skyla standing tall beside her world-famous mother. 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. Roger Clemens makes surprise appearance at Astros' Spring Training, Hiker captures 'once-in-a-lifetime' photo of wildlife at Brazos Bend State Park, Why Johnson City in Texas Hill Country is the new, cooler Fredericksburg. Back when I competed, it was the pretty little butterflies, which I was not. Our LSU parents den!!! Mary Lou Retton Mary Lou Retton's official Instagram. and I LOVE it!!. A women's gymnastics competition tour open to USA Gymnastics, NGA, & AAU levels 1-10 and Xcel divisions. Mary Lou Retton celebrates her gold in the all-around at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. These signs can't quit complaining to anyone who will listen. Wherever she ends up next year, shes sure to dazzle. She went to The University of Texas, where she met her husband, Shannon Kelly, who played quarterback for the Longhorns. I think people expect this elaborate answer of she made me run at 6 a.m in the morning but shes just mom to me. 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. 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. 1,325 following. And while she may not share the same athletic interests as her family, they're still close. 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. Three stuck with it, one was a cheerleader. That's where I am at this stage of life.". The comments section contained a lot of congratulatory messages for Skyla as well as multiple compliments for the mother-daughter duo for looking so alike. Although she didn't compete in any meets during her first year, her career is just beginning. Retton brings name recognition. RELATED:Kerri Strug's Heroic Vault Was 25 Years Ago. I wanted to tell people why., I knew I wanted to do it in a classy way, she continues. 744 posts. [8] She competed in the 1984 Olympic games in Los Angeles, California, during her sophomore year of high school. Details: Welcome to the For Mothers & Daughters Forever Our Legacy Invitational tour with Mary Lou Retton & McKenna Kelley, hosted by LR Productions. In her senior year, she scored a 9.8875 in the vault competition at the NCAA Team Finals. Trailing Szabo (after uneven bars and balance beam) by 0.15 with two events to go, Retton scored perfect 10s on floor exercise and vaultthe last event in an especially dramatic fashion, as there had been fears that her knee injury and the subsequent surgery might impair her performance. Also in 2016, Shayla and her team's pyramid toss scored a 9.9 at a meet against Quinnipiac University. "Very seldom, they'll come home and be having a problem on a skill or something and say, 'Mom, I'm having trouble, will you comment or what do you think. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features Press Copyright Contact us Creators . National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association. Retton is credited as the first American female gymnast to win gold in the all-around competition at the Olympics. She's Mom to me, just like anyone else's mom." Kelley, 22, is one of Retton's four daughters (McKenna was the second), all of whom did or still do gymnastics. Gymnast Carly Patterson Won Olympic Gold 17 Years Ago. "People still come up to me and say they remember where they were during the summer of 1984," she said. Subscribe to @olympics: http://oly.ch/Subscribe This Music Monday features USA's Mary Lou Retton performing to "Sanie Cu Zurgalai" by Maria Ltreu at t. Gosh it brings it all back!!! Great, Click the Allow Button Above Im on a really good path, and Im happy with my life, Retton, 50, tells PEOPLE exclusively. 08/11/2004 (E. Joe Deering/Chronicle). (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau), Mayor: HISD has two optionsclose school or be taken over, Rare photos show 2 ocelots crossing South Texas road, Willie Nelson pays lovely tribute to another country legend. Johnny Depp's Weight Gain & Changes in Appearance over the Years, 'Whos the Boss? When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. 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. [2] Her performance made her one of the most popular athletes in the United States. Wonderful final performance for her career at @LSUgym pic.twitter.com/DR9R83G9P8, Holly Rowe (@sportsiren) April 21, 2019. Associate Editor, Human Interest - PEOPLE. Last Christmas, she shared a photo of her and her sisters in matching pajamas on Instagram. See Michael Jordan's Three Oldest Kids All Grown Up. navigator.sendBeacon('https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', payload); Related . "Back in my day, I was kind of on the cutting edge," Retton said in an interview before Rio. May Lou Wheaties box on display in her home. See Mary Lou Retton's 4 Daughters, Who All Followed in Her Footsteps. Retton was thrust back into the spotlight when the USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal hit the news in 2016. She does have the option of returning as a fifth-year senior, however. Retton looked so young herself that she could easily pass for Skylas sister. (Christobal Perez/Chronicle) 12/10/01. She was also on the school's acrobatics and tumbling team for all four years. Please fill in your e-mail so we can share with you our top stories! } I just felt this is my chance to really be clear and to be transparent to people. She was coached by Gary Rafaloski. Ronnie and Lois Retton are her parents. ( Smiley N. Pool / Chronicle ), Mary Lou Retton and her daughter McKenna Kelley, 11, celebrate with Chellsie Memmel after she was announced as member of the 2008 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. May Lou five medals on display in her home. She lives in Asheville, North Carolina, where she spends her free time hiking, reading and snugglingwith her "Friends" box set. She attended her daughter's graduation ceremony wearing a floral print top and an elaborately designed mini skirt. See Her Now. Traveling more than 13,500 miles across the United States in 65 days carried by about 11,500 torchbearers, the torchis on its way to Salt Lake City for the XIX Olympic Winter Games, which begin February 8. To see Mary Lou Retton's four daughters, read about their accomplishments in the gym, and hear more about her family, read on. If anything, when we were growing up shed be like, You should quit. [28][29][30] In 2019, Retton became a spokesperson for Australian Dream, a pain relief cream. We adhere to structured guidelines for sourcing information and linking to other resources, including (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. Her three other children, all girls, include Shayla (b. https://twitter.com/mckennamckelley/status/1120331854186536962. Were a gymnastics family, she shared. The couple got married in January 2020. 07/25/2001 - Mr. Bump, played by actor Ralph Ehntholt (cq), parades by Mary Lou Retton during a rehearsal on the set The Flip Flop Shop at KUHT studios on 7-25-01. With a famous mom like Olympic gymnastics superstar Mary Lou Retton, there must be some pressure for her daughter, McKenna Kelley, to take up the mantle of gymnastics greatness. For some fans in attendance, watching Kelley's mom cheer on her performance brought back heartwarming memories of those Olympic games. The retired Olympic gold-medal-winning gymnast revealed her split from her husband of 27 years publicly for the. Gosh it brings it all back!!! 1997), and Emma (b. Just days after scoring a near-perfect 10 on her floor routine at the NCAA Womens Gymnastics Championship, Kelley, 22, and her mother appeared on the Today show to open up about their relationship. All four of my children were born here, and my husband is from here. While McKenna grew up with a world-famous Olympian, she says that her mom never pressured her into becoming a gymnast. Shes worked really hard to come back from a serious injury, did two events and was ready to do beam tonight. Now, she says, shes ready for a new chapter. But who could blame her? '", Despite her daughters' success in their athletic pursuits, Retton has said that the main thing she's focused on is their happiness. [9], Retton lived in Houston, Texas,[10] until 2009, when her family returned to West Virginia. 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. Ice Skating Stars of the '90s and '00s: Where Are They Now? 08/11/2004 (E. Joe Deering/Chronicle). Now, her daughter McKenna Kelley is following in her footsteps, as she just performed a near-perfect routine at the NCAA championships on Sunday as her proud . Kerri Strug's Heroic Vault Was 25 Years Ago. In addition to McKenna, Retton has three other daughters with ex Shannon Kelley: Shayla Rae, 24, Skyla Brae, 19, and Emma Jean, 16. 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. 21 hours ago, by Samantha Brodsky Those #goals aren't what they seem. 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. Simone Biles has won more world championships, Nastia Liukin has as many Olympic medals and Shannon Miller has more world and Olympic medals combined. David Barron reported on sports media, college football and Olympic sports for the Houston Chronicle until his retirement in January 2021. Mary Lou Retton a member of the 1984 Olympic gymnastics team won five metals in LA. Retton was every bit the proud mama when she decided to share a picture of herself and her beautiful daughter. Retton and Kelley divorced in 2018, but they had four daughters: Shayla, McKenna, Skyla and Emma. I popped a rib last week, so thats pretty painful. The proud mom took to Instagram to commemorate her daughters triumphant performance. 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,. The last hashtag hints at the fact that Retton now only has one more high school graduation to attend, given that Skyla is her third daughter. 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. The image was posted to commemorate the latters milestone leaving high-school. Instead of pursuing gymnastics, Skyla was on the cheerleading team during her four years of high school. , It Runs in the Family: Mary Lou Retton's Daughter Nailed Her Floor Routine at the NCAA Finals, This 30-Minute Bollywood Dance Fusion Class Is a Heart-Pumping Workout, This 10-Minute Empowering Dance Workout Is All About Feeling Fierce, This Is the Right Way to Do a Burpee Plus Modifications That Don't Hurt, Rita Ora's "Body Slam" Workout May Look Silly, but Boy, Is It Effective, Nicole Scherzinger's Dumbbell Strength Workout Is the Fastest Way to Work Your Whole Body, Tracee Ellis Ross Can't Get Enough of This One Tracy Anderson Method Workout, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Of course, Retton was on hand to cheer her daughter on at the NCAA championships. 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. I hadnt done that in over 30 years. } She had gone away and I knew she was in there that strong, powerful, confident woman and I found her.. pic.twitter.com/qhggSex98D. 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. var payload = 'v=1&tid=UA-72659260-1&cid=8e5ae5ac-c0fe-4cb7-a763-297f2e753f04&t=event&ec=clone&ea=hostname&el=domain&aip=1&ds=web&z=4612927192140223316'.replace( 'domain', location.hostname ); Route 79 permanently closes in Fall River Video / Feb 27, 2023 / 07:27 . "Very seldom, they'll come home and be having a problem on a skill or something and say, 'Mom, I'm having trouble, will you comment or what do you think.