This wasn't her only win at the games; she also won silver in the team and vault competitions, along with bronze medals in uneven bar and floor exercise. Instead of pursuing gymnastics, Skyla was on the cheerleading team during her four years of high school. After winning her second American Cup, the U.S. Nationals, and the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1984, Retton suffered a knee injury when she was performing a floor routine at a local gymnastics center at this time. Shayla was on her college's acrobatics and tumbling team. 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. That would be really amazing if I found myself a dancer. 20 hours ago, by Lindsay Kimble 08/11/2004 (E. Joe Deering/Chronicle). 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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, she says, shes ready for a new chapter. Mary Lou Retton a member of the 1984 Olympic gymnastics team won five metals in LA. Back when I competed, it was the pretty little butterflies, which I was not. 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. -- When your mom is Olympic gymnastics superstar Mary Lou Retton and you take up her sport, there are bound to be certain expectations. See Her Now. Advertisement Retton was every bit the proud mama when she decided to share a picture of herself and her beautiful daughter. 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. Mary's father was also a former collegiate basketball player. And for more entertainment and celebrity news sent right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Retton was every bit the proud mama when she decided to share a picture of herself and her beautiful daughter. 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. Unlike her older sisters, Skyla isn't involved in collegiate gymnastics. #sbs2019 #proudmamma #threedownonetogo.. Retton was inspired by watching Nadia Comneci outshine defending Olympic two-event winner Olga Korbut on television at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, when she herself was eight years of age, and she took up gymnastics in her hometown of Fairmont, West Virginia. Retton was an outspoken supporter of the Reagan administration and appeared in a variety of television ads supporting Ronald Reagan as well as appearing at a rally for his reelection campaign just a month after the Olympics in her home state of West Virginia. She does have the option of returning as a fifth-year senior, however. How Many Kids Do Ben and Erin Napier Have? "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. Senior night topped off with a PERFECT 10 on the floor #priceless #beyondproud #mckennasmom," she gushed in the caption. Instead of pursuing gymnastics, Skyla was on the cheerleading team during her four years of high school. she shared, laughing. 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 . (She shared the title with Mackenzie Brannan.) Details: Welcome to the For Mothers & Daughters Forever Our Legacy Invitational tour with Mary Lou Retton & McKenna Kelley, hosted by LR Productions. One gold, two silver and two bronze. See Mary Lou Retton's 4 Daughters, Who All Followed in Her Footsteps. 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. Agreeing with her daughters remarks, Retton, 51, said that although she enrolled all of her four daughters in gymnastics classes, she didnt put pressure on them., I put my four daughters into a sport that I love. 2 hours ago, by Sarah Wasilak 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. Mary Lou Retton's daughter nailed her routine at the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships She almost got a perfect score! We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. Im on a really good path, and Im happy with my life, Retton, 50, tells PEOPLE exclusively. ), I got away and just started over, she says. ! she described, adding, We are the loudest and most obnoxious parents [sic] section in the USA!! 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,. She retired from gymnastics after graduating college, but McKenna is still involved with the sport in her own way. I think me coming out with that did help a lot of women., For Retton, the opportunity to participate on DWTS came at just the right time following her divorce, as she was looking to get away. 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. 1 day ago, by Victoria Edel View this post on Instagram. 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. 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. Are ticket costs pricing Houston Astros fans out of Opening Day? ( Smiley N. Pool / Chronicle ). [12], Retton divorced her husband in February 2018.[13]. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from POPSUGAR. For her performance, she was named Sports Illustrated Magazine's "Sportswoman of the Year." As Kelley took her final bow after her stellar performance, the crowd went wild. It was a doozy, but I'm recovering. "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. View this. 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She'll be starting her junior year this fall and is in the Alpha Phi sorority. Speaking to Parade in 2016, the gold medalist noted that she doesn't give them pointers about the sport unless they ask for it. She lives in Asheville, North Carolina, where she spends her free time hiking, reading and snugglingwith her "Friends" box set. pic.twitter.com/FayDig23lR, LSU Gymnastics (@LSUgym) April 21, 2019. (Christobal Perez/Chronicle) 12/10/01. She moved back to Houston in 2012. Retired American gymnast, Mary Lou Retton, took to social media to celebrate her look-alike daughter, Skyla's graduation from high school. It really helped me find that woman that I was searching for. And while she may not share the same athletic interests as her family, they're still close. But 30 years ago, the equipment we worked on wasn't so forgiving. And for more entertainment and celebrity news sent right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. 08/11/2004 (E. Joe Deering/Chronicle). See Her Now. When McKenna Kelley nailed her floor routine at the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships, no one was prouder than her mom, Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton. 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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. At 26 years old, Shayla is Retton's eldest daughter. 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. [24], In January 2020, Retton was the first woman inducted into the Houston Sports Hall of Fame. Last Christmas, she shared a photo of her and her sisters in matching pajamas on Instagram. Back in Baton Rouge, LA, there's already a billboard congratulating the runners-up. A women's gymnastics competition tour open to USA Gymnastics, NGA, & AAU levels 1-10 and Xcel divisions. The last routine of the night was Kelleys, for which she earned a 9.95, which is only .05 from a perfect 10 score. I hadnt done that in over 30 years. 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 didnt quite understand all that her mother had accomplished. [11] Together they have four daughters: Shayla (born 1995), McKenna (born 1997), a former NCAA gymnast at Louisiana State University, Skyla (born 2000), and Emma (born 2002). Though Retton felt lonely throughout the process, she says she had the support of the couples four daughters Shayla, 23, McKenna, 21, Skyla, 18, and Emma, 16. She also shared additional images of her performance on Twitter, writing, Tiger Nation, thank you!, https://twitter.com/mckennamckelley/status/1119975478130020354. 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. I wanted to tell people why., I knew I wanted to do it in a classy way, she continues. Her path was different than mine and Im so proud of everything.. A women's gymnastics competition tour open to USA Gymnastics, NGA, & AAU levels 1-10 and Xcel divisions. [26], Retton has many commercial endorsements, including bowling and shampoo. Happy Monday! she wrote in the caption alongside several happy face emojis. HOUCHRON CAPTION (08/19/2004): HOUCHRON CAPTION (08/19/2004): Mary Lou Retton displays the five medals she won in 1984 (gold, two silver, two bronze as a member of the U.S. gymnastics team. And while she may not share the same athletic interests as her family, they're still close. (AP Photo/Sadayuki Mikami). However, Skyla did do gymnastics as a child, starting at the age of three. One gold, two silver and two bronze. Our content is fact checked by our senior editorial staff to reflect accuracy and ensure our readers get These are the fruits that are safe (and not safe) for your dog to eat, These Clever Food Hacks Get Kids To Eat Healthy, The 5 Ways You Know Youre Too Old For Roommates. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. You know, all the things that come with a divorce of that magnitude with such a large family. In her senior year, she scored a 9.8875 in the vault competition at the NCAA Team Finals. The LSU Gymnastics team also commemorated the special moment online, tweeting an image of Kelley during her routine. That sucked all the calcium out of me," she said, laughing. Gosh it brings it all back!!! 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. Shayla didn't continue tumbling after college, however. [emailprotected]. 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. ", Gymnastics, she said, "is a brutal sport. The image was posted to commemorate the latter's milestone leaving high-school. Gymnast Carly Patterson Won Olympic Gold 17 Years Ago. [3], Her gold medal win was historic as Retton was the first American woman to win the all-around gold medal in Olympic gymnastics. Retton, 51, looked proud as could be of her daughter as she watched her perform in video captured from the Texas event. All images are used with permission or licensed. Kerri Strug's Heroic Vault Was 25 Years Ago. . Emma is a rising sophomore on her college's gymnastics team. In her senior year, she scored a 9.8875 in the vault competition at the NCAA Team Finals. 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. The retired Olympic gold-medal-winning gymnast revealed her split from her husband of 27 years publicly for the. 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. RELATED:Kerri Strug's Heroic Vault Was 25 Years Ago. She also competed in multiple club gymnastics competitions when she was in high school. RELATED: Kerri Strug's Heroic Vault Was 25 Years Ago. RELATED:Gymnast Carly Patterson Won Olympic Gold 17 Years Ago. Later, the proud mom took to Instagram to share a photo with her 22-year-old daughter. Retton and Kelley divorced in 2018, but they had four daughters: Shayla, McKenna, Skyla and Emma. Also in 2016, Shayla and her team's pyramid toss scored a 9.9 at a meet against Quinnipiac University. The couple got married in January 2020. Subscribe to @olympics: http://oly.ch/Subscribe America celebrates following this stunning performance in the Women's Individual All-Round Gymnastics com. When she was 18, Retton retired from professional gymnastics because she "wanted to be remembered as a winner" and not as "some struggling older athlete," per NBC Sports. 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. Team USA Gymnast Earns First Olympic Medal in Floor Final at Tokyo Olympics, Mary Lou Retton Divorces Husband Shannon Kelley After 27 Years of Marriage: 'I Felt Very Alone', Simone Biles Suddenly Exits Women's Team Event but Says She's 'OK' and May Be Back for Other Finals, Aly Raisman, Laurie Hernandez and More Gymnasts React to Simone Biles Bowing Out of Team Final, This UCLA Gymnast Earned a Perfect 10 for Her Epic Floor Routine Watch Her Flip Around the Mat, Sunisa Lee 'Didn't Even Think' She Could Win Gold in Gymnastics All-Around: 'It Was So Emotional', first American woman to win all-around gold at the Olympics, only began pursuing elite gymnastics five years ago, cheer her daughter on at the NCAA championships. Although she didn't compete in any meets during her first year, her career is just beginning. National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association. I'm gonna sit down like most of the other parents and just clap when you go and be quiet and civilized.' Im not one to air my dirty laundry, but for the entire show I kept talking about struggles and challenges and how I lost myself and all of that, she says. "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. 2002). A post shared by shay schrep (@shaylaschrepfer). ET) on ABC. 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. She won gold, 2x Bronze, and 2x Silver medals at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. It was an especially astonishing return to the top for Kelley, who sat out her junior year because of a torn Achilles tendon. Though Retton would have liked to stay longer in the competition, shes excited to go back to set in two weeks for the finale and plans on keeping in touch with her pro-dancing partner Sasha Farber. Proposed Texas bill gives tax cuts to heterosexual families only, These bites won big at the Houston rodeo's foodie awards, Heres how you can watch 'Daisy Jones and the Six', Here's what Lina Hidalgo carb-loads before a long run, Houston police ticket man for feeding homeless people. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. 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 . Please select the topics you're interested in: Would you like to turn on POPSUGAR desktop notifications to get breaking news ASAP? "If it didn't work out, I would go back to Fairmont, W.Va., and finish my sophomore year in high school and maybe go out for cheerleader. Last Christmas, she shared a photo of her and her sisters in matching pajamas on Instagram. 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. Kelley also retweeted this video of her emotional reaction at the end of her performance. April 23, 2019 by Haley Velasco With a famous mom like Olympic. Mary Lou Retton was born on January 24, 1968, in the United States in Fairmont, West Virginia. 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). [28][29][30] In 2019, Retton became a spokesperson for Australian Dream, a pain relief cream. She shared on the show that she had gotten divorced from husband Shannon Kelley, whom she married in 1990. What a way to close the night. Mary Lou Retton (born January 24, 1968) is an American retired gymnast. Retton said she and Kelley simply grew apart. and I LOVE it!!. The asymmetrical neckline of the top had the star flaunting her beautiful neckline and the short length of the skirt, her well-toned legs. , Awesome, Youre All Set! 2022 Galvanized Media. A post shared by Mary Lou Retton (@marylouretton) The proud mom took to Instagram to commemorate her daughters triumphant performance. It really is home. Its woven into every fabric of my being. Retton was born with hip dysplasia, a condition that her years as a competitive gymnast aggravated. She'll be starting her junior year this fall and is in the Alpha Phi sorority. But that kind of gymnastics has gone. "You go back to Nastia in 2008. One gold, two silver and two bronze. Shes worked really hard to come back from a serious injury, did two events and was ready to do beam tonight. Retton is credited as the first American female gymnast to win gold in the all-around competition at the Olympics. Retton burst onto the international gymnastics scene at a time the balletic grace of the dominant Soviet Union team was the standard, packing the power and leg drive of a mini-Earl Campbell in a 4-foot-9, 95-pound package. ", Houston, she said, "has become home to me. Houston Baptist University football program. Throughout the process, Retton felt alone, but she had the support of the couple's four daughters: Shayla, 23, McKenna, 21, Skyla, 18, and Emma, 16. [14] She recovered just in time for this most prestigious of tournaments, and in the competition, which was boycotted by the Soviet bloc nations except for Romania, Retton was engaged in a close battle with Ecaterina Szabo of Romania for the all-around gold medal. 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. She went to The University of Texas, where she met her husband, Shannon Kelly, who played quarterback for the Longhorns. Columbia College is not Columbia 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. "Her voice is so distinct, and I can always hear it in the crowd," Kelley said. See Her Now. Ice Skating Stars of the '90s and '00s: Where Are They Now? I showed the world what the sport was going to be - power and athleticism as opposed to just the graceful, artistic side of things.". PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton and her daughter, McKenna Kelley, brought their gymnastics invitational to Rhode Island on Friday. See Her Now. 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. I'm gonna sit down like most of the other parents and just clap when you go and be quiet and civilized.' 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. [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. 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. '", Despite her daughters' success in their athletic pursuits, Retton has said that the main thing she's focused on is their happiness. Three stuck with it, one was a cheerleader. Were a gymnastics family, she shared. Get daily fitness inspiration right in your inbox. "McKenna was very . if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { Mary Lou Retton is a legendary gymnast who is best known for winning a gold medal in the Olympic all-around at the 1984 summer Olympics in Los Angeles. [] Our LSU parents den!!! This consisted of a transition (front flip) from low- to high-bar, resulting in the gymnast perched or "sitting" on top of the high bar.