Born with hip dysplasia and battered by years of constant training as a teenager, she has undergone 19 surgical procedures, including replacements for both hips and underwent back surgery in June prompted by a degenerative bone disorder. Their daughters' names are Shayla, McKenna, Skyla, & Emma Kelley. The beautiful star was, however, more than happy to share that her grown daughter is on her way into adulthood. That was my thinking.". "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. The tour, which will start this November, is open to gymnasts from the beginner competitive level through the junior level. 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). 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. It was a special weekend for the RI Sports Commission, GoProvidence, and Convention Center! She also shared additional images of her performance on Twitter, writing, Tiger Nation, thank you!, https://twitter.com/mckennamckelley/status/1119975478130020354. Its a 9.95 to end her illustrious career, the caption read. [] xhr.open('POST', 'https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', true); She attended her daughter's graduation ceremony wearing a floral print top and an elaborately designed mini skirt. "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.". Mary Lou Retton, the Olympic all-around champion in 1984, is raising four daughters, and three of them are gymnasts. [2] Her performance made her one of the most popular athletes in the United States. Retton won the gold medal in the event. Retired American gymnast, Mary Lou Retton, took to social media to celebrate her look-alike daughter, Skylas graduation from high school. 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. '", Despite her daughters' success in their athletic pursuits, Retton has said that the main thing she's focused on is their happiness. Unlike her older sisters, Skyla isn't involved in collegiate gymnastics. (She shared the title with Mackenzie Brannan.) Retton was born with hip dysplasia, a condition that her years as a competitive gymnast aggravated. 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. That made it special for people. pic.twitter.com/tedB7SG2jv. She won gold, 2x Bronze, and 2x Silver medals at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. 744 posts. Ronnie and Lois Retton are her parents. Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays (8 p.m. The retired Olympic gold-medal-winning gymnast revealed her split from her husband of 27 years publicly for the. I'm gonna sit down like most of the other parents and just clap when you go and be quiet and civilized.' 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 . Although she didn't compete in any meets during her first year, her career is just beginning. "My role is to love them no matter what, have that shoulder for them to cry on if they're hurt or frustrated," she explained to Parade. 1 day ago, by Victoria Edel Retton's routine on the uneven bars included a move that came to be called "The Retton Flip." She now has her own YouTube channel, which she started in 2015. All four of my children were born here, and my husband is from here. From vegan to keto, which diet has the highest carbon footprint. "Her voice is so distinct, and I can always hear it in the crowd," Kelley said. 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. "Back in my day, I was kind of on the cutting edge," Retton said in an interview before Rio. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from POPSUGAR. ! she described, adding, We are the loudest and most obnoxious parents [sic] section in the USA!! View this post on Instagram. Brianne Tracy is a staff writer on the PEOPLE music team. Retton looked so young herself that she could easily pass for Skylas sister. Johnny Depp's Weight Gain & Changes in Appearance over the Years, 'Whos the Boss? In addition to McKenna, Retton has three other daughters with ex Shannon Kelley: Shayla Rae, 24, Skyla Brae, 19, and Emma Jean, 16. One gold, two silver and two bronze. 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. [23], In 1997, Retton was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. She also scored a perfect 10 on a floor exercise at a meet against Oregon State University. The asymmetrical neckline of the top had the star flaunting her beautiful neckline and the short length of the skirt, her well-toned legs. At 26 years old, Shayla is Retton's eldest daughter. But the equipment today is better, and they train smarter today.". [16] She retired in 1986. Mary Lou Retton (born January 24, 1968) is an American retired gymnast. pic.twitter.com/FayDig23lR, LSU Gymnastics (@LSUgym) April 21, 2019. 1,325 following. [17], Retton's hometown, Fairmont, West Virginia, named a road and a park in the town after her. While McKenna grew up with a world-famous Olympian, she says that her mom never pressured her into becoming a gymnast. Senior night topped off with a PERFECT 10 on the floor #priceless #beyondproud #mckennasmom," she gushed in the caption. Registered gymnasts will receive a custom GK leotard. [18], In 1985, she received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council member General Chuck Yeager. 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. 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. But what she chooses remains to be seen. Theres that fine line between a daughter and a friend, so theres a lot that I couldnt share with them. But my mom never, ever put pressure on us. 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. : Mary Lou Retton Photos & Info, List of competitive results at Gymn Forum, Olympic Champions in Artistic Gymnastics Women's All-Around, Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year, United States women's national soccer team, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mary_Lou_Retton&oldid=1142782427, Olympic gold medalists for the United States in gymnastics, Olympic silver medalists for the United States in gymnastics, Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in gymnastics, Originators of elements in artistic gymnastics, Sportspeople from Fairmont, West Virginia, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Short description is different from Wikidata, FIG template using Wikidata property P7440, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 10:13. A post shared by Emma Kelley (@emmajeankelley). You may have spotted, in the crowd there, Kelleys mom, cheering along with everyone else. The legendary woman was giving perfect-10 fingers for her daughter and sending kisses through the air to Kelley on the floor. Speaking to Parade in 2016, the gold medalist noted that she doesn't give them pointers about the sport unless they ask for it. "You go back to Nastia in 2008. ", Houston, she said, "has become home to me. No more high school for this young lady! 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. McKenna, who's now 24, was co-championof the Nastia Liukin Cup, an annual U.S. competition hosted by the former Olympian, in 2014. At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, she won a gold medal in the individual all-around competition, as well as two silver medals and two bronze medals. I hadnt done that in over 30 years. "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. A women's gymnastics competition tour open to USA Gymnastics, NGA, & AAU levels 1-10 and Xcel divisions. 1995), McKenna (b. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. if( 'moc.enilnoefiltseb' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { RETTON AND SKYLAS RESEMBLANCE DID NOT GO UNNOTICED. McKenna Kelley anchors the 2019 NCAA Gymnastics Championships! Follow. if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { Retton, the first American woman to win the individual all-around gold medal in gymnastics, flashed "perfect 10" fingers and blew kisses to Kelley, whose seamless routine helped her team finish second at the competition. Mary Lou Retton is opening up about her divorce from ex-husband Shannon Kelley. Show More Posts from marylouretton. 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. Happy Monday! she wrote in the caption alongside several happy face emojis. [2] Her performance made her one of the most popular athletes in the United States. But that kind of gymnastics has gone. Kelley scored a stellar 9.95. pic.twitter.com/YrERX9CtZ3. After experiencing increased pain from the condition, she underwent hip replacement surgery on her left hip in her mid-thirties. See Her Now. #allthefeels #lsugym @mckennamckelley @LSUgym pic.twitter.com/DbmbuWFazK, Alison Stevens (@AlisonMichele93) April 21, 2019. Now live in Houston with her husband and their four kids. Instead of pursuing gymnastics, Skyla was on the cheerleading team during her four years of high school. She graduated from Baylor University in 2017 with a major in Health Science. The image was posted to commemorate the latter's milestone leaving high-school. Im on a really good path, and Im happy with my life, Retton, 50, tells PEOPLE exclusively. 55 minutes ago, by Eden Arielle Gordon 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. 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. Get daily fitness inspiration right in your inbox. Now live in Houston with her husband and their four kids. [3] Later, the proud mom took to Instagram to share a photo with her 22-year-old daughter. 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. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton and her daughter, McKenna Kelley, brought their gymnastics invitational to Rhode Island on Friday. Watch Kelley's finals floor routine above (wait until the end to see Retton cheering along). 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. But 30 years ago, the equipment we worked on wasn't so forgiving. See Her Now. She also posts frequently about her mom and dad. She appeared on a Wheaties box, and became the cereal's first official spokeswoman. I talked to Shawn Johnson and Nastia Liukin before I went out, and they said it would be an incredible journey thats what I was hoping for, and it certainly was. See Mary Lou Retton's 4 Daughters, Who All Followed in Her Footsteps. } ", Gymnastics, she said, "is a brutal sport. But McKenna Kelley, who exhibits the . You had to watch ABC, because that was the only place to see us. I'm gonna sit down like most of the other parents and just clap when you go and be quiet and civilized.' McKenna and her mom co-host the women's gymnastics tour, "For Mothers and Daughters Forever Our Legacy." [15] Retton won the all-around gold medal by 0.05 points, beating Szabo to become first female gymnast from outside Eastern Europe to win the individual all-around gold. That's all she is.". She did rack up some impressive scores on the mat in high school, however. 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. The tour benefits The McKenna Kelly Foundation, which donates to non-profits focusing on mental health. The proud mom took to Instagram to commemorate her daughters triumphant performance. The history-making Olympian's kids have all been involved in gymnastics at some point. McKenna then took her gymnastics career to the collegiate level at Louisiana State University. The couple has four daughters together Shayla, 23, McKenna, 21, Skyla, 18, and Emma, 16 and she explained that she was very thankful for her kids, as they love her unconditionally. Next is Skyla Kelley, who's 21 years old and studying at Texas Tech University. She brought the look to a finish wearing tall black heels and with her dark brown hair styled into a straight-edged cut. HOUCHRON CAPTION (08/19/2004): Retton and her husband live in Houston, far removed from the time when she captured the heart of a nation and graced the cover of the Wheaties box. Wherever she ends up next year, shes sure to dazzle. Retton sailed through the Olympic Trials but, in an event that would not have happened these days, was allowed to appear in a post-trials exhibition and suffered a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery six weeks before the Games. Its woven into every fabric of my being. [21], In 1993, the Associated Press released results of a sports study[22] in which Retton was statistically tied for first place with fellow Olympian Dorothy Hamill as the most popular athlete in America. They were angry in the beginning, and any child should be with their family being torn apart but weve vowed that we would do holidays together and were going to try to make it as seamless and as painless as possible., I dont think they were surprised, she adds. 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 . Im scared!, I guess I got to find myself a dancer, dont I? she adds. Did having her mom there make Kelley nervous? Now she's going for platinum. Opening up about her decision to step away, Kelley shared that she feels so at peace.. When the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017[32] was introduced to the 115th Congress, she and other members of USA Gymnastics met with the bill sponsor, Senator Dianne Feinstein, with the aim of convincing her to drop the bill. As Kelley took her final bow after her stellar performance, the crowd went wild. In the backyard play area Mary Lou with her four daughters Shayla,9 McKenna,7 Skyla,4 and Emma,2 Mary Lou Retton a member of the 1984 Olympic gymnastics team won five metals in LA. View this. Emma's graduation is one that Rettons fans will look forward to, but for now, they have Skylas to ooh and aah over. 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. 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. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 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. scientific studies and medical journals. McKenna won her first gymnastics competition when she was 17. 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. This is your last routine, she shared. "People still come up to me and say they remember where they were during the summer of 1984," she said. Mary's father was also a former collegiate basketball player. 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. She has been with the brand since starting as an intern nearly six years ago, covering all things entertainment across print and digital platforms. They'll always second guess themselves, from what they say to how they look. Former gymnast and Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton was at the Rhode Island Convention Center hosting a gymnastics meet. I showed the world what the sport was going to be - power and athleticism as opposed to just the graceful, artistic side of things.". "My goal was to come to Houston because the Karolyis were going to give me my best shot at making the Olympic team," Retton said. Retton and Kelley divorced in 2018, but they had four daughters: Shayla, McKenna, Skyla and Emma. These signs can't quit complaining to anyone who will listen. Ice Skating Stars of the '90s and '00s: Where Are They Now? (Retton lives in Houston, and the show is filmed in Los Angeles. Tiger Nation, THANK YOU pic.twitter.com/M5cy5bZWUI. This is a carousel. And like her mom, she couldnt help but share an image of her newly won awards. HOUCHRON CAPTION (08/19/2004): Retton four daughters (from left) Shayla, 9, Skyla, 4, Emma, 2, and McKenna, 7, are her most prized possessions. She'll be starting her junior year this fall and is in the Alpha Phi sorority. 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. There will be no immediate honeymoon for Mary Lou Retton, a gold medal . A lot of people were surprised.. HOUCHRON CAPTION (07/31/2001): Mary Lou Retton talks to actress Alicia Church, who plays "Jumpy," on the set of "Mary Lou's Flip Flop Shop" at KUHT studios. My last thought to you was, Remember this. My words were, remember this, baby girl. Mary Lou Retton's daughter nailed her routine at the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships She almost got a perfect score! Retton is executive producer and star of the show, a series for under-6 set. Im pretty beat up, she says. (Not in Picture). See Her Now. The image was posted to commemorate the latters milestone leaving high-school. See Her Now. , Awesome, Youre All Set! 08/24/1998 - (L-R) Mary Lou Retton, 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. 1984 Olympic Gymnastics all-around champion, President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017, List of Olympic female gymnasts for the United States, List of Olympic medal leaders in women's gymnastics, "Mary Lou RETTON - Olympic Gymnastics Artistic - United States of America", "Amazing Moments in Olympic History- Mary Lou Retton", "Biography of Mary Lou Retton, Olympic Gymnastics Champion", "Boston.com Local Search Boston Globe Archives", "Doing it her way: Mary Lou Retton teaches healthy attitudes to her kids and, now, the rest of us", "HBU Huskies Football Names Shannon Kelley Offensive Assistant Coach", "Mary Lou Retton Divorces Husband Shannon Kelley After 27 Years of Marriage: 'I Felt Very Alone', "Mary Lou beams after sticking her vault to capture the all", "Mary Lou Retton Reflects On 1985 American Cup Win, Retirement Decision", "Election 2004: Republican Convention Schedule and Viewer's Guide", "Golden Plate Awardees of the American Academy of Achievement", Retton, Hammill most popular American athletes, "Houston Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2020 - HCHSA | Harris County Houston Sports Authority", "For Retton, the Gold Still Glitters;Pressure, Time and Change Mature '84 Olympic Gymnastics Champion", "Prowess alone won't get an athlete on Wheaties", "Text - S.534 - 115th Congress (2017-2018): Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017", "Facing Congress, Some Sports Officials (Not All) Begin to Confront Sexual Abuse", "Mary Lou Retton.
