The gymnastics champion sprang to stardom at the 1984 Olympics, where she became the first American woman to win a gold medal in the all-around competition. Her family is raising money online, saying she lacks health insurance.
May Lou Retton at the 1984 Olympics, where she won five medals.
Mary Lou Retton, who became one of the most popular athletes in the country after winning the all-around women’s gymnastics competition at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, has pneumonia and is “fighting for her life” in the intensive care unit, her daughter said in a statement this week.
Retton’s daughter McKenna Lane Kelley said on Instagram that her mother “is not able to breathe on her own” and that she had been in the intensive care unit for more than a week.
Kelley asked for donations to help pay for her mother’s hospital bills, saying her mother lacked health insurance. By Wednesday, she had raised more than $260,000 online from more than 4,600 donors.
She did not share more specific information about her mother’s condition, though she said that her pneumonia was “a very rare form.” It was not clear what hospital Retton was in.
Kelley, who was a gymnast at Louisiana State University, did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment on Tuesday.
On Wednesday, another daughter, Shayla Kelley Schrepfer, released a video on Instagram thanking people for “all the love and support that you’ve given to my mom.”
“She’s still fighting,” Schrepfer said. “It’s going to be a day-by-day process, and we hope that you guys will respect her boundaries, as we want to keep the details between her and our family right now. She has been treated with the best of the best professionals here, and it has been such a blessing to have their hands on her.”
At the 1984 Olympics, Retton became the first American woman to win the all-around gold medal or any individual Olympic medal in gymnastics. Going into the final rotation of the competition, she was five-hundredths of a point behind Romania’s Ecaterina Szabo, and the only way she could beat Szabo was to score a perfect 10 on vault.
Retton scored a perfect 10.
She won five medals in Los Angeles, including two silvers, for team and vault, and two bronzes, for uneven bars and floor exercise.
Though there was an asterisk by Retton’s victory in the history books — the Soviet Union, which was the most dominant force in women’s gymnastics at the time, boycotted the 1984 Games — it nonetheless made her a sports hero in the United States. In addition to earning her the traditional trappings of Olympic gold, like appearing on a Wheaties box, she was widely viewed as an inspiration to a new generation of American girls entering gymnastics.
Even as the American gymnastics program grew and the country won more medals, including the team gold in 1996, Retton’s prominence remained: For 20 years, Retton, now 55, was the only American woman to win the all-around title, until Carly Patterson became the second in 2004.
Retton was born in Fairmont, W.Va., and got her start early, like many top gymnasts. By the time Retton was 7 years old, she was training in gymnastics full-time.
Retton’s talent had been apparent from the start, but a big break came at an Olympics elimination tournament in Reno, Nev., in 1982, where she impressed Bela Karolyi, who would go on to coach her in the 1984 Olympics.
“I immediately recognized the tremendous physical potential of this little kid,” Karolyi said in a March 1984 interview.
Retton appeared in a number of films and TV shows in the late 1980s and 1990s, including the comedy film “Scrooged.”
After her athletic career, Retton became a motivational speaker to promote the benefits of proper nutrition and regular exercise.
Our Granddaughter Demanded We Give Her Our Villa as It Was Nicer despite Us Paying for Vacation – I Taught Her a Lesson
My plan to treat my grandkids to a luxurious family vacation took an unexpected turn when one of my granddaughters demanded the grandest accommodation. I decided to take the unconventional route to teach her a memorable lesson.
So, my husband, John, and I, we’ve been pretty lucky in life, and we wanted to do something special for our family. Our granddaughter, Robin, got married recently, and we thought, “Why not celebrate with a big family vacation?”
A happy older couple looking out at the ocean | Source: Shutterstock
We picked Bora Bora because, honestly, who doesn’t dream of going there? It’s like one of those places you see on postcards and think, “People actually go there?” Yes, they do, and we decided we were going to be those people.
A resort in Bora Bora | Source: Shutterstock
We got a great deal on this trip. We found this beautiful place that had room for all of us – three bungalows for the grandkids and their families, and one big villa for John and me.
Villas by the beach in Bora Bora | Source: Shutterstock
The bungalows were nice, each one a thousand square feet with a king bed or two queens, a bathroom, and some outdoor space.
A tropical bungalow on the beach | Source: Shutterstock
But the villa, oh boy, it was something else. Four thousand square feet all to ourselves, with a bedroom, a bathroom that had a sauna, a living room, and the best part, an outdoor area with a bathtub, a pool, and a slide straight into the ocean. It was paradise.
A sundeck with a pool overlooking the beach | Source: Shutterstock
Now, we hadn’t even been there for a full day when the trouble started. We were all having dinner together, enjoying the breeze and the sound of the waves, when my other granddaughter, Jenny, said something about wanting to use our slide.
Dinner by the water | Source: Shutterstock
Robin, who hadn’t seen our villa yet, asked to see pictures. I showed her, thinking she’d be excited. Instead, she got upset. Really upset.
“You expect us to live like peasants while you have a 4000 sq ft villa with a sauna and pool? I want it!” she demanded, right there at the dinner table.
Woman gesturing being upset | Source: Shutterstock
I couldn’t believe my ears. First off, nobody’s a peasant in Bora Bora. Second, we thought we’d done something nice by bringing everyone there.
Woman looking confused | Source: Shutterstock
I tried explaining to Robin that it wasn’t about the size of the room but about spending time together as a family. Plus, there was only one villa, and if we gave it to her, what would that say to the others?
But she wasn’t having any of it. She accused us of holding money over her head and stormed off, threatening to leave the next day.
An older woman arguing with a younger woman who looks away as another man sits in front of them | Source: Shutterstock
John thought maybe we should just give in to keep the peace, but something in me just couldn’t do that. It wasn’t right. All we wanted was a nice family vacation, and now it felt like everything was falling apart because of a room.
A man listening to a woman who’s touching his shoulder | Source: Shutterstock
So, that night, I barely got a wink of sleep. John was out like a light, but me? I was tossing and turning, thinking about Robin and her tantrum over the villa.
It’s funny, you know? One minute they’re little, needing you for everything, and the next, they’re all grown up and demanding villas in Bora Bora.
A woman laying in bed awake | Source: Shutterstock
I spent the whole night thinking about what to do. Part of me wanted to let Robin have her way just to stop the drama, but another part of me thought, “No, this is a chance to teach her a valuable lesson.”
A woman in deep thought while laying in bed | Source: Shutterstock
So, the next morning, when Robin refused to come to breakfast and was acting like she wouldn’t join us for anything as long as we were there, I decided on a new approach.
Breakfast by the water | Source: Shutterstock
I told everyone that if Robin and her husband really wanted to leave, I’d respect their decision and even help them find a flight back. I wasn’t kicking them out, but I also wasn’t going to beg them to stay.
Two women at a dining table peeling apples | Source: Shutterstock
I decided it was time to take action, not just stand by hoping Robin would come around. So, I did something I never thought I’d do on what was supposed to be a relaxing vacation: I went and booked a flight for Robin and her husband to head back home.
An older woman on the phone while looking at a laptop | Source: Shutterstock
I know, it sounds harsh, right? But sometimes, you’ve got to cut the line to save the net, as my old friend used to say. I asked the hotel staff to cancel Robin’s and her husband’s remaining reservations. They were kind about it, understanding the family drama more than I wished they had to.
Receptionist taking a call | Source: Shutterstock
Then came the packing. The hotel staff, bless their hearts, went over to help Robin and her hubby pack up their things. I didn’t go with them; felt it was better to keep my distance.
A man packing clothes in a suitcase | Source: Shutterstock
But I stood there on our villa’s balcony, watching them, feeling a mix of sadness and, weirdly, relief. It was like finally deciding to take an old, broken-down fence to the dump. You didn’t want to see it go, but it had to be done for the new one to come in.
An older woman looking out from a balcony | Source: Shutterstock
Breakfast was awkward. Everyone was tiptoeing around the elephant in the room, barely touching their tropical fruit plates. I decided it was time to clear the air. “Look,” I said, “last night got out of hand. We’re here to enjoy ourselves, not fight over who gets the fancier room.”
Untouched tropical breakfast spread | Source: Shutterstock
Just then, Robin storms in, looking like she’s ready to battle. “So, what, you’re kicking me out now?” she throws out, pointing a finger at me,
An angry woman pointing an accusatory finger | Source: Shutterstock
“No, Robin,” I sigh, “We’re not kicking you out. We just think if you’re so unhappy, maybe it’s best you head back. We want this vacation to be peaceful, you know?”
You could’ve heard a pin drop. Robin looked like she couldn’t decide if she was more shocked or angry. “I…I haven’t even looked up flights yet,” she stammers out, which was pretty much what I figured.
Woman looking upset | Source: Shutterstock
“Well, I already helped you with that,” I calmly said, trying to keep the peace but stay firm.
You should have seen the look on Robin’s face when she realized I wasn’t playing the game she expected. For so long, whenever she threw a fit, the family would scramble to make things right for her. Not this time. I was calm and firm. I said I’d miss her but understood if she felt she needed to go.
Woman looking surprised | Source: Shutterstock
After they left, something unexpected happened. The rest of the family came together like never before. My other grandkids told me they were proud of how I handled the situation. They said the trip was more enjoyable without the constant drama Robin tended to bring.
An older woman and a younger woman smiling at each other | Source: Shutterstock
And just like that, the vacation turned around. We enjoyed the villa, the slide, the ocean, and most importantly, each other’s company. It was a reminder that sometimes, standing your ground does more good than giving in to unreasonable demands.
A family enjoying at the beach | Source: Shutterstock
So, that’s the story. It’s not just about a fancy villa or a family vacation gone wrong. It’s about setting boundaries, about respect, and about showing love in tough situations. And you know what? I think we all learned something valuable from it, even Robin, wherever she is.
Leave a Reply