(AP Photo/Sadayuki Mikami). This is a carousel. Associate Editor, Human Interest - PEOPLE. After experiencing increased pain from the condition, she underwent hip replacement surgery on her left hip in her mid-thirties. 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. See Her Now. Its woven into every fabric of my being. As Kelley took her final bow after her stellar performance, the crowd went wild. Over the years, the Olympic champion and her enthusiastic cheers from the stands have been a constant presence at her daughter's competitions. See Her Now. Last year, the athlete tore her Achilles tendon and spent the season on the sidelines. foreverourlegacy.org. Mary Lou Retton wrote "Gateways to Happiness" to share her philosophy about success and life. RELATED:See Michael Jordan's Three Oldest Kids All Grown Up. She also participated in several cheer competitions, per Yahoo! [4][5], Mary Lou Retton was born on January 24, 1968, in Fairmont, West Virginia. 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. Born and raised in Fairmont, W.Va., (her father, Ron, at 5 feet 7, was a co-captain with Jerry West on West Virginia's 1959 NCAA Tournament finalists), Retton came to Houston at age 14 to train with Bela and Martha Karolyi, who trained the great Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci before coming to the United States in the early 1980s. She was one of the most beautiful gymnasts I've ever seen. Kelley scored a stellar 9.95. pic.twitter.com/YrERX9CtZ3. 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. pic.twitter.com/qhggSex98D. Kelley also retweeted this video of her emotional reaction at the end of her performance. She'll be starting her junior year this fall and is in the Alpha Phi sorority. She had gone away and I knew she was in there that strong, powerful, confident woman and I found her.. One fan, @emmadilemma83 wrote alongside a heart emoji: She definitely has your smile!!!! A post shared by shay schrep (@shaylaschrepfer). Ever. Did having her mom there make Kelley nervous? Mary Lou Retton's Perfect 10 Floor Routine! | Music Monday You may have spotted, in the crowd there, Kelleys mom, cheering along with everyone else. "I try to make every competition I can," Retton said in a 2016 ESPN feature. View this post on Instagram #grateful A post. She scored a total of 79.175 to take the gold medal in individual all around competition. Happy Monday! HOUCHRON CAPTION (09/13/1998): Mary Lou Retton, from left, Harris County Judge Robert Eckels, Franelle Rogers and Mayor Lee Brown meet in Brown's office to discuss details of the third annual USOC Coach of the Year awards Sept. 19 at the Hyatt Regency Imperial Ballroom. Kelley is the daughter of gymnastics legend Mary Lou Retton, who at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics became the first American woman to win the all-around gold medal. "She's a hollerer, for sure.". She also became the first American woman to be an Olympic all-around champion an honor she held alone until the ongoing five-peat of American all-around champions (in order: Carly Patterson in 2004 in Athens, Nastia Liukin in 2008 in Beijing, Gabby Douglas in 2012 in London, Simone Biles in 2016 in Rio de Janeiro and Suni Lee in 2021 in Tokyo). 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. 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. You dont want to get hurt or anything!'. 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. 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. (She shared the title with Mackenzie Brannan.) 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. At 26 years old, Shayla is Retton's eldest daughter. ': 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. Retton won two international events in 1983 and entered the Olympic year, with the Soviets boycotting the Games in Los Angeles, picked to win the all-around silver medal behind Ecaterina Szabo of Romania. She graduated from Baylor University in 2017 with a major in Health Science. McKenna Kelley at the NCAA Womens National Collegiate Gymnastics Championship. Mary-Lou Retton - Stunning Individual All-Round Gold - YouTube In addition to McKenna, Retton has three other daughters with ex Shannon Kelley: Shayla Rae, 24, Skyla Brae, 19, and Emma Jean, 16. [] Retton was thrust back into the spotlight when the USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal hit the news in 2016. ( Smiley N. Pool / Chronicle ). "Wow what a night! 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. She also says she checked comments on her social media pages something she doesnt normally do to see if her story inspired anybody going through the same thing. You had to watch ABC, because that was the only place to see us. 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 . [24], In January 2020, Retton was the first woman inducted into the Houston Sports Hall of Fame. But 30 years ago, the equipment we worked on wasn't so forgiving. "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.". That made it special for people. WHERE ARE THEY NOW: America's Youngest Olympic Stars - Yahoo! Verified. The moment was also captured in photos and shared online, as seen in the tweet below from @JacquesDoucet: 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. 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. My daughters were amazing, she says. It was a special weekend for the RI Sports Commission, GoProvidence, and Convention Center! Olympic Gymnast Mary Lou Retton Cheers on Daughter at NCAA - Yahoo! ET) on ABC. The LSU Gymnastics team also commemorated the special moment online, tweeting an image of Kelley during her routine. Retton brings name recognition. If you have any concerns about the accuracy of our content, please reach out to our editors by e-mailing And I just can't help myself!" A women's gymnastics competition tour open to USA Gymnastics, NGA, & AAU levels 1-10 and Xcel divisions. 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. Please select the topics you're interested in: Would you like to turn on POPSUGAR desktop notifications to get breaking news ASAP? [2] Her performance made her one of the most popular athletes in the United States. I showed the world what the sport was going to be - power and athleticism as opposed to just the graceful, artistic side of things.". I'm gonna sit down like most of the other parents and just clap when you go and be quiet and civilized.' Mary Lou Retton (@marylouretton) Instagram photos and videos Wherever she ends up next year, shes sure to dazzle. RELATED: Kerri Strug's Heroic Vault Was 25 Years Ago. Last Christmas, she shared a photo of her and her sisters in matching pajamas on Instagram. 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. See Her Now. 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. She brought the look to a finish wearing tall black heels and with her dark brown hair styled into a straight-edged cut. Back when I competed, it was the pretty little butterflies, which I was not. HOUCHRON CAPTION (08/19/2004): Retton four daughters (from left) Shayla, 9, Skyla, 4, Emma, 2, and McKenna, 7, are her most prized possessions. Retton, 51, looked proud as could be of her daughter as she watched her perform in video captured from the Texas event. Happy Monday! she wrote in the caption alongside several happy face emojis. McKenna Kelley, daughter of Mary Lou Retton, blazes her own trail in gymnastics 2492 days ago Laurie Bern Special to espnW.com When your mom is Olympic gymnastics superstar Mary Lou Retton and you take up her sport, there are bound to be certain expectations. Speaking to Parade in 2016, the gold medalist noted that she doesn't give them pointers about the sport unless they ask for it. 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. 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 . See Her Now. 1,325 following. #sbs2019 #proudmamma #threedownonetogo.. Gymnast Carly Patterson Won Olympic Gold 17 Years Ago. [12], Retton divorced her husband in February 2018.[13]. ), I got away and just started over, she says. I really commend her, LSU coach D-D Breaux told The Times-Picayune of Kelley. "I tell her every season, 'McKenna, I'm really gonna do it this season. 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. 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. 403 N 3rd St, Richmond , VA 23219. Related . 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. Fast-forward today, and that's all you see because that is how the sport has evolved to benefit powerful, athletic gymnasts. Speaking to Parade in 2016, the gold medalist noted that she doesn't give them pointers about the sport unless they ask for it. This is your last routine, she shared. Olympic Gymnast Mary Lou Retton Cheers on Daughter at NCAA Womens Gymnastics Championships. Mary Lou Retton Opens Up About Her Secret Divorce - Peoplemag Mary Lou Retton | Bio, Age, Career, Husband, Kids, Retirement, Salary The history-making Olympian's kids have all been involved in gymnastics at some point. That's where I am at this stage of life.". The perfect tummy control bodysuit, a popcorn gadget, more bestsellers starting at $8. She'll be starting her junior year this fall and is in the Alpha Phi sorority. Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton and her daughter, McKenna Kelley, brought their gymnastics invitational to Rhode Island.Retton brings name recognition and st. A post shared by Emma Kelley (@emmajeankelley). (Not in Picture). RELATED:Kerri Strug's Heroic Vault Was 25 Years Ago. Show More Posts from marylouretton. These signs can't quit complaining to anyone who will listen. , Awesome, Youre All Set! Mary Lou Retton's daughter: 'She's always been Mom to me' - Times Union 1 day ago, by Victoria Edel It Runs in the Family: Mary Lou Retton's Daughter Nailed Her Floor Now, she says, shes ready for a new chapter. pic.twitter.com/FayDig23lR, LSU Gymnastics (@LSUgym) April 21, 2019. That would be really amazing if I found myself a dancer. https://twitter.com/mckennamckelley/status/1120331854186536962. Watch Kelley's finals floor routine above (wait until the end to see Retton cheering along).