Mary Lou Retton Biography, Parents, Husband, Children, Siblings, and Net Worth: Mary Lou Retton is a former Olympic gymnast from the United States.
Mary Lou Retton Biography
She was born on January 24, 1968, and at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, she won a gold medal in the individual all-around event, as well as two silver and two bronze medals.
Retton’s success catapulted her into the ranks of America’s most popular athletes. Retton’s gold medal victory was historic since she was the first American woman to win the Olympic all-around gold medal.
Ronnie, her father, managed a coal-industry transportation equipment company. She attended Fairmont Senior High School but did not complete her education. During her sophomore year of high school, she competed in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, California.
When Retton was eight years old, she was inspired by seeing Nadia Comăneci surpass defending Olympic two-event winner Olga Korbut on television at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, and she began gymnastics in her hometown of Fairmont, West Virginia. Gary Rafaloski was her coach. She then relocated to Houston, Texas, to train with Romanians Béla and Márta Károlyi, who had previously trained Nadia Comăneci prior to their departure to the United States.
Under the Károlyis, 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 Károlyi student) at the US Nationals that same year. Though Retton missed the World Gymnastics Championships in 1983 due to a wrist injury, she won the American Classic in 1983 and 1984, as well as Japan’s Chunichi Cup in 1983.
Retton had a knee injury while doing a floor routine at a local gymnastics center in 1984, after winning her second American Cup, the US Nationals, and the US Olympic Trials. She had sat down to sign autographs when she felt her knee lock, causing her to have surgery five weeks before the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles—the first time the Summer Olympics had been staged in the United States in 52 years.
She recovered just in time for this most prestigious of competitions, and in the competition, which was boycotted by all Soviet bloc nations save Romania, Retton was locked in a close struggle for the all-around gold medal with Ecaterina Szabo of Romania. With two events remaining and behind Szabo (after uneven bars and balancing beam) by 0.15, Retton earned perfect 10s on floor exercise and vault—the final event in particularly dramatic way, given there had been concerns that her knee injury and subsequent surgery might hamper her performance.
Mary Lou Retton Date Of Birth
Mary Lou Retton celebrated her 55th birthday in January this year (2023). She was born on January 24, 1968, in Fairmont, West Virginia, United States.
Mary Lou Retton Height & Weight
Mary Lou Retton stands at a height of 1.45 m and weighs around 42 kg at the time of this writing. Her performance made her one of the most popular athletes in the United States.
Mary Lou Retton Parents
Mary Lou Retton is the daughter of Ronnie Retton (father) and Lois Retton (mother). Her father operated a coal-industry transportation equipment business. Although Mary is famous, there’s not much information regarding her parents.
Mary Lou Retton Husband
As of this writing we do not have any information regarding the Olympic star’s love life. There are no records as to whether she’s married or engaged.
However, from 1990 to 2018, Mary Lou Retton was married to Shannon Kelley, a former American football quarterback. They divorced in February 2018 for undisclosed reasons
Mary Lou Retton Children
Mary Lou Retton is blessed with four daughters; McKenna Lane Kelley, Skyla Brae Kelley (born in 2000), Shayla Rae Kelley (born on April 12, 1995), and Emma Jean Kelley (born on June 20, 2002).
The Olympic legend shares all four children with her ex-husband, Shannon Kelley (m. 1990–2018). McKenna was born on April 15, 1997. She’s a retired American artistic gymnast. She was a level 10 gymnast who won the 2014 Nastia Liukin Cup.
Mary Lou Retton Siblings
Mary Lou Retton is not the only child of her parents; Ronnie Retton (father) and Lois Retton (mother). She has three brothers: Ronnie, Donnie, and Jerry Retton, and a sister named Shari Retton.
Among her siblings, Jerry Retton stands out for his remarkable athletic abilities. Though he may not have achieved the same level of fame as his younger sister, his prowess in sports hasn’t gone unnoticed within the family.
Mary Lou Retton Net Worth
As of October 2023, Mary Lou Retton has an estimated net worth of about $2 million. She was the first American woman to win the all-around gold and individual Olympic medal in gymnastics
Mary Lou Retton Social Media
Mary Lou Retton owns a verified Instagram account with over 77K followers. The Olympic gold medalist is very active on this social media platform.
SOURCE: Ghnewslive.com
