Mary Lou Retton with the medal she won at 1984 Olympics

Everything you wanted to know about Mary Lou Retton: College, nationality, training, achievements

Modified Mar 13, 2024 12:31 GMT

Mary Lou Retton is an American gymnast who is best known for her achievements at the 1984 Olympics. She became the first-ever American woman to secure a gold medal in the all-around category of gymnastics.

Retton's involvement in the 1984 Olympics carried great significance for various reasons. Firstly, just days before the championship, she faced a knee injury that raised doubts about her ability to participate.

Secondly, that particular year marked a momentous occasion for the United States as they hosted the Summer Olympics for the first time in 52 years. The event, though, was boycotted by the Soviet Union with the exception of Romania.

Mary Lou Retton’s early life and education

Born on January 24, 1968, in Fairmont, West Virginia, Mary Lou Retton spent the initial days of her life with her family at the same place. Her father, Ronnie, used to run a coal industry transport equipment business.

The American gymnast received her education at Fairmont Senior High School, located in Fairmont, West Virginia. But she didn’t complete her graduation.

Rise in interest for gymnastics

Mary Lou Retton developed an interest in gymnastics after observing the performance of Romanian gymnast Nadia Comaneci at the 1976 Olympics. Commencing her gymnastics journey at the tender age of 8, Retton gradually gained recognition in her home country.

In 1983, she emerged triumphant at the American Cup and secured second place in the US Nationals. Regrettably, an unfortunate wrist injury prevented her from participating in the world championship that same year, despite her previous string of victories.

She made an impressive comeback in 1984 by emerging victorious in the American Cup, the US Nationals, and the US Olympic Trials.

Mary Lou Retton was trained by Bela Karolyi, who is also well-known for training Nadia Comaneci, Ecaterina Szabo, Betty Okino, and Kerri Strug in the field of gymnastics.

Career achievements

Retton made headlines when she became the first American to win an all-around gymnastics gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics. She was just 16 years old at the time of the event.

She also achieved one silver medal in the women's team all-around event and another in the women's vault event. Additionally, she bagged a pair of bronze medals, one in the women's uneven bars competition and the other in the women's floor exercise competition.

Besides her Olympic achievements, she also won three gold medals in the all-around event at the American Cup.

Mary Lou Retton announced her retirement in 1986. In recognition of her exceptional achievements, she was inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame and was also selected into the Houston Sports Hall of Fame in the year 2020. She is also the first woman ever to be selected into the Houston Sports Hall of Fame.

Mary Lou Retton shared a post about her recovery from Pneumonia

The 55-year-old has been battling a rare form of pneumonia and was admitted to one of the hospitals in Houston. She spent several days in the Intensive Care Unit and required the assistance of crowdfunding to address her medical costs, as the ex-athlete did not have insurance coverage.

However, the latest development on her health states that she has started responding to medical treatments. Additionally, Mary Lou Retton shared a post on her official Instagram handle to express her gratitude for the support she and her family have been receiving in the last few days. She wrote:

“I'm beyond blessed to have the opportunity to make this statement. I am overwhelmed with all the love and support from the world as I fight. I am forever grateful to you all! I'm with family continuing to slowly recover and staying very positive as I know this recovery is a long and slow process.”

Mary Lou Retton also appreciated everyone’s respect for her privacy and discussed sharing more details of the health issue to help others who are fighting the same battle.

“I appreciate everyone's respect of my privacy at this time. When the time is right, I will be sharing more information about my health issues and hope I can help others who may face the same battle as me. I love you all. -MILR”