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.
A Heartwarming Story That Restores Faith in Humanity
Once in a while, a heartwarming story comes along that reminds us of the power of kindness and the unpredictable twists life takes.
This is one such story that will touch your heart and restore your faith in humanity.
A Simple Act of Kindness
It all started when Brandon, a homeless and poor man struggling to make ends meet, walked into a gas station store. Little did he know that this simple act of kindness would change his life forever.
As Brandon stood in line, he noticed an elderly man having trouble communicating with the cashier. The man didn’t have enough money to buy a bottle of water, which he needed to take his pills. The cashier was rude and refused to help him, and the other customers in line were equally unsympathetic.
Unable to ignore the situation, Brandon approached the cashier and offered to pay for the elderly man’s water. In that moment, Brandon showed compassion and reminded us all of the importance of helping those in need.
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NewsA Heartwarming Story That Restores Faith in Humanity
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Once in a while, a heartwarming story comes along that reminds us of the power of kindness and the unpredictable twists life takes.
This is one such story that will touch your heart and restore your faith in humanity.
A Simple Act of Kindness
It all started when Brandon, a homeless and poor man struggling to make ends meet, walked into a gas station store. Little did he know that this simple act of kindness would change his life forever.
As Brandon stood in line, he noticed an elderly man having trouble communicating with the cashier. The man didn’t have enough money to buy a bottle of water, which he needed to take his pills. The cashier was rude and refused to help him, and the other customers in line were equally unsympathetic.
Unable to ignore the situation, Brandon approached the cashier and offered to pay for the elderly man’s water. In that moment, Brandon showed compassion and reminded us all of the importance of helping those in need.
An Unexpected Twist
The elderly man was grateful for Brandon’s kindness, and they left the store together. Little did Brandon know that this encounter would lead to a life-changing event.
The next day, Brandon received an unexpected visit from a man dressed in a fancy suit. He introduced himself as Mr. Grives’s representative and handed Brandon an envelope. Inside was a letter from Mr. Grives, expressing gratitude for Brandon’s kindness and offering him something unimaginable – his company.
Facing Challenges
Mr. Grives had been looking for someone with a good heart to inherit his business, as he had lost faith in his own selfish son. However, Brandon soon realized that inheriting a company comes with its own challenges.
An enemy of the family, Christopher, who was Mr. Grives’s son, wanted to take control of the company and would stop at nothing to achieve his goal. Christopher resorted to blackmail and extortion, leaving Brandon and his family in a precarious situation.
But Brandon, being no stranger to the struggles of life, wasn’t about to give up. With the help of the FBI, Brandon devised a plan to outsmart Christopher. In the end, justice prevailed, and Christopher was arrested for his crimes.
The Power of Love and Support
Through it all, Brandon’s love for his children remained unshakeable. He taught them that true wealth lies in the love and support they have for each other, not in material possessions.
This heartwarming story serves as a reminder that kindness can lead to unexpected rewards and that a strong family bond is a treasure that no one can take away. It’s a story that deserves to be shared and celebrated, for it shows us the power of compassion and resilience.
Make a Difference with Kindness
So, next time you see someone in need, remember the story of Brandon and the elderly man at the gas station. A small act of kindness can make a world of difference and may even change your life in ways you could never imagine.
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