Who is Mary Lou Retton?
Former American gymnast Mary Lou Retton is better known by her stage name, MLR. Her extraordinary athletic accomplishments have earned her much notoriety. She also has a gold medal, having taken home the trophy at the 1984 Summer Olympics.
She was also the first American woman to take home an individual gymnastics gold medal.
That same summer, she also took home two silver and two bronze medals. In addition, she has a strong political voice. Ronald Reagan was publicly backed by the gymnast.
Mary Lou Retton, a former gymnast, on Dancing With The Stars
On Dancing With The Stars, Mary Lou Retton and Sasha Farber dance
Lou is one of the most well-known gymnasts, and as a result, he has been given several possibilities. Mary made multiple appearances in advertisements for well-known businesses and industries.
Its sales dramatically soared as a result. She has additionally appeared in films and television shows.
For opposing a bill that would have shielded young children from sexual predators, the athlete faced several criticisms and negative headlines. MLR has come under fire from many for opposing prior USA Gymnastics reforms.
Relationship Details, Mary Lou Retton is Married.
Mary Lou was engaged to her ex-husband when she was just 21 years old. In 1989, the couple announced their engagement, and they later wed. Aside from that, they were wed for 28 years before divorcing in February 2018.
The previous couple also had four daughters. Shayla, McKenna, Skyla, and Emma Kelley are their names.
All of the former gymnast’s daughters were introduced to gymnastics while they were small. However, only three of them persisted, and Skyla changed her career to cheerleading.
At Baylor University, MLR’s eldest daughter Shayla participated in acrobatics and tumbling. She has qualified for a lot of NCATA Individual Championship competitions.
Similarly, McKenna, Retton’s second-oldest daughter, is a Level 10 gymnast and the 2014 Nastia Liukin Cup champion.
Quick facts about Mary Lou Retton
| Full Name | Mary Lou Retton |
| Birth Date | January 24, 1968 |
| Birth Place | Fairmont, West Virginia, the United States |
| Nick Name | MLR, America’s Sweetheart |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Italian American |
| Education | Fairmont Senior High School |
| Horoscope | Aquarius |
| Father’s Name | Ronnie Retton |
| Mother’s Name | Lois Retton |
| Siblings | Four |
| Age | 54 years old |
| Height | 4 feet 9 inches |
| Weight | 93 lb (42 kg) |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Build | Athletic |
| Profession | Former Gymnast |
| Former Team | USA |
| Club | Karolyi Gym |
| Retired | September 29, 1986 |
| Marital Status | Divorced |
| Ex-Husband | Shannon Kelley |
| Kids | Four: Shayla, McKenna, Skyla, Emma |
| Net Worth | $8 million |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Last Update | November 2022 |
Mary Lou Retton: Early Life, Age, Wiki, Parents, Ethnicity
In the United States, Mary Lou Retton was born in Fairmont, West Virginia. Ronnie and Lois Retton are her parents.
She also had a father who had played basketball in college. He also participated in a small league for professional basketball.
MLR’s parents were both very active and passionate about sports and physical endeavors.
She enrolled in dance courses when she was just four years old as a result. Then she enrolled with her sister Shari Retton in gymnastics classes. Mary is the youngest of five children in addition to that.
The former athlete worked extremely hard and loved gymnastics. She even used to sleep at West Virginia University in her exercise clothes the night before courses.
She also took inspiration from great gymnasts like Nadia Comăneci and Olga Korbut.
She knew she wanted to be a gymnast and win gold medals when she watched them perform on television.
Retton decided to dedicate himself to gymnastics and began training with renowned gymnastics teacher Béla Károlyi. He has worked with a lot of Olympic champions.
In addition, he was honored with a spot in the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
Although he is known for his strict coaching methods, once in America, he softened. Under the guidance of the Romanian-American coach, she flourished and relentlessly pursued her potential.
Education, Schooling, University
Attending Fairmont Senior High School was Retton. She did not, however, complete her degree since she preferred gymnastics.
To train at the Károlyi Gym, the gold medalist relocated to Houston, Texas. She also briefly studied at the University of Texas after leaving the gymnastics team.
Professional Career, (Gymnast)
When the former athlete was just eight years old, she began her training to become a professional gymnast. To control her daughter’s excessive energy, her mother enrolled her at the University of West Virginia. Lois had no idea that Mary would grow up to make a career out of it.
She first received instruction from Gary Rafaloski in her native town. She relocated to Houston, Texas, though, believing that she could train more effectively there. Béla and his wife, Márta Károlyi, served as Retton’s instructors. She developed as a gymnast overall under Béla Károlyi’s instruction.
She finished second in the US Nationals at age 15 and won the American Cup.
The next year, she also took first place in the Cup, Nationals, and US Olympic Trials. The gymnast also won the 1983 and 1984 American Classics as well as the 1983 Chunichi Cup in Japan.
She had knee surgery to treat her leg injuries before the 1984 Summer Olympics. The gymnast was worried that she might not make it to the Olympics, but she recovered in time. MLR earned her first gold medal at the first Summer Olympics held in the United States since 1932.
She also became the first American female gold medalist in the all-around event.
She completed an ankle vault before flawlessly executing the challenging Tsukahara vault as her final vault. Additionally, America’s Sweetheart took home two additional silver and bronze medals from the Olympics. She was named “Sportswoman of the Year” by the well-known sports publication Sports Illustrated.
Gymnastic Career Following
Mary retired in 1986 after taking first place in her third and last American Cup all-around competition that year. She then gained a small bit of experience in television and film.
Retton made guest appearances on Baywatch, Glee, and the comedy Scrooged. She also participated in Dancing With The Stars in 2018.
Mary Lou’s Flip Flop was the name of a children’s series she also had. In addition, she made use of her time to advocate for the re-election of President Ronald Reagan. She also attended the Republican National Convention in 2004.
Net Worth, Salary, Assets
The former athlete amassed a significant amount of income throughout her career as a top gymnast.
The wealth of Retton exceeds $8 million. In addition, the gymnast’s legendary victory at the 1984 Summer Olympics catapulted her to stardom. She consequently received endorsements from well-known brands and businesses.
The Wheaties Box’s first row was occupied by her as the first female athlete. The gold medallist additionally acted as a spokeswoman for the painkiller Australian Dream and the drugstore chain Revco.
She also appeared in their commercials. She also appeared in advertisements for different companies and niches. Mary appeared in several films and television programs. She was a gymnastics analyst as well.
Rumors and Controversy
When the USAG sex abuse scandal was all over the news in 2017, the former athlete’s name was tossed about quite a bit. Many female athletes reported being sexually abused by gym owners, coaches, and employees.
One of the worst sex abuse scandals in sports history has occurred here. Larry Nassar, a former osteopathic physician, was the scandal’s most prominent face. In addition, he is charged with abusing over 250 women.
At the time of the abuse, the majority of the victims were minors.
As a result of his acts, the USAG was sued frequently for failing to act on complaints, covering up the truth, and protecting Nassar. In the United SStatesnational gymnastics governing body, many people demanded changes and proper legislation.
Consequently, a bill was proposed by Senators John Thune and Dianne Feinstein. The legislation was known as the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization of 2017.
The legislation guards against sexual abuse of young athletes. Additionally, it encourages a secure setting for their development.
Mary visited with Senator Feinstein to persuade her not to support the measure, alone with the USAG. She then received harsh criticism for standing up for the organization rather than the abuse victims.
What is the Height of Mary Lou Retton? Weight, Full Body Status
On January 24, 2021, the former gymnast turned 53 years old. She maintains a strict diet and lifestyle because she was once an athlete. She is therefore quite fit despite being in her fifties. She is 4 feet 9 inches tall and 93 pounds, or 42 kg, in weight.
She is described as having Brown hair and Dark Brown eyes when defining her appearance. Her body measurement, shoes, and tattoos (if any) are currently unavailable.
Mary Young, young Mary Mary is of American descent, of Italian American ancestry, and Christian faith.
Social Media Accounts
On social media, the gold medallist is highly active. She consequently has 65 thousand followers on Instagram.
She frequently posts pictures of her and her kids. Recently, MLR said goodbye to Skyla, her youngest kid, who was leaving for college.
In addition, she expressed her congratulations to her oldest daughter Shyla on her engagement. The mother of four recently welcomed Honey, a golden retriever puppy, into the family. Additionally, she has 29 thousand of followers on Twitter. In 2011, the former athlete joined.
She is, however, far less active on Twitter as she hasn’t updated since 2018.
She has nonetheless posted a lot of pictures and videos of her kids on her account. She has also discussed a lot of news regarding gymnastics.
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