MORGANTOWN, West Virginia — Yesterday, it was anounced that Mary Lou Retton is suffering from a rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life. Moments ago, her daughter, McKenna Kelley, provided an update on social media, saying, “My sisters Skyla, Shayla, Emma and I would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support for our Mom. Mom is in ICU and continues to fight. She is getting incredible medical care! Thanks to all doctors and nurses! We ask for continued prayers and positive thoughts for our Mom.”
Retton’s family started a SpotFund account to help pay for medical expenses after it was revealed that she does not have health insurance. The goal was to raise $50,000 and over $250,000 has already been donated at the time of this article being published.
Retton, 55, was born and raised in Fairmont, West Virginia, and won the Gold Medal in the All-Around in 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles, California when she received two perfect 10 scores in the floor and vault categories just weeks after receiving an operation on her knee.
According to her Wikipedia page, “Retton’s hometown, Fairmont, West Virginia, named a road and a park in the town after her. Having retired from gymnastics after winning an unprecedented third American Cup title in 1985, she later had cameo appearances as herself in Scrooged and Naked Gun 33+1/3: The Final Insult.
In 1985, she received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council member General Chuck Yeager. Retton was elected to the National Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in 1992. In 1993, the Associated Press released results of a sports study in which Retton was statistically tied for first place with fellow Olympian Dorothy Hamill as the most popular athlete in America. In 1997, Retton was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. In January 2020, Retton was the first woman inducted into the Houston Sports Hall of Fame.”
Please say a prayer for Mary Lou, one of the most beloved West Virginians and Olympic athletes of all time, and stay tuned to The Voice of Morgantown for more updates as they become available.
Update on the condition of Mary Lou Retton from her daughter McKenna Kelley pic.twitter.com/Q7pWwVzgX5
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) October 11, 2023
