The former Olympic gymnast is executive producer and star of the show, a series for children ages 6 and under. See Her Now. "It's not like today, when you get the results before they appear on television. However, Skyla did do gymnastics as a child, starting at the age of three. The tour benefits The McKenna Kelly Foundation, which donates to non-profits focusing on mental health. Kelley is a senior at LSU, which means this may have been her last performance with the team. Im on a really good path, and Im happy with my life, Retton, 50, tells PEOPLE exclusively. Our content is fact checked by our senior editorial staff to reflect accuracy and ensure our readers get 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. Just days after scoring a near-perfect 10 on her floor routine at the NCAA Womens Gymnastics Championship, Kelley, 22, and her mother appeared on the Today show to open up about their relationship. "Her voice is so distinct, and I can always hear it in the crowd," Kelley said. But my mom never, ever put pressure on us. 07/25/2001 - Mr. Bump, played by actor Ralph Ehntholt (cq), parades by Mary Lou Retton during a rehearsal on the set The Flip Flop Shop at KUHT studios on 7-25-01. In fact, in 2016, Retton told ESPN she'd once vowed to Kelley, whose dad is Retton's husband, Shannon Kelley, that she'd try to tone it down. I just wanted to be authentic. You see Dance Moms and you see how crazy those moms are and you just assume that an Olympic champion would want her child to be like that. For Kelley, a senior at LSU, the night was a triumphant personal comeback. When Louisiana State University gymnast McKenna Kelley nailed the final floor routine of the night at the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships on Saturday, no one was prouder than her mom, Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton. Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays (8 p.m. (AP Photo/Sadayuki Mikami). She posts videos about her daily life, which often feature her siblings and husband, Wyatt Schrepfer, who also studied at Baylor University. 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. Retton and her husband live in Houston, far removed from the time when she captured the heart of a nation and graced the cover of the Wheaties box. The tour benefits The McKenna Kelly Foundation, which donates to non-profits focusing on mental health. That's all she is.". We collect and tell stories of people from all around the world. She is a frequent analyst for televised gymnastics and attended The University of Texas at Austin after the Olympics.[31]. He joined the Houston Chronicle in 1990 after stints at the Dallas bureau of United Press International (1984-90), the Waco Tribune-Herald (1978-84) and the Tyler Morning Telegraph (1975-78). Unlike her older sisters, Skyla isn't involved in collegiate gymnastics. [3] A post shared by Emma Kelley (@emmajeankelley). "I tell her every season, 'McKenna, I'm really gonna do it this season. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. I hadnt done that in over 30 years. See Her Now. Their daughters' names are Shayla, McKenna, Skyla, & Emma Kelley. And yet, more than 30 years later, the Sports Illustrated headline of Aug. 13, 1984, rings true: Mary Lou Retton laughs appreciatively at the notion that, at age 48 and the mother of four daughters, she has been regarded as the greatest of all American female gymnasts, even surpassing those who jump higher, run faster and perform skills in the 21st century she never dreamed of accomplishing in the 20th - at least until Biles' performance in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics. 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. and I LOVE it!!. "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. RELATED: Nadia Comneci Scored a Perfect 10 at the Olympics 45 Years Ago. RELATED: See Michael Jordan's Three Oldest Kids All Grown Up. Mary Lou Retton a member of the 1984 Olympic gymnastics team won five metals in LA. 07/25/2001 - Mary Lou Retton relaxes while talking to actress Alicia Church (who plays 'Jumpy') on the set The Flip Flop Shop at KUHT studios on 7-25-01. "Her voice is so distinct, and I can always hear it in the crowd," she told ESPN. Now live in Houston with her husband and their four kids. She retired from gymnastics after graduating college, but McKenna is still involved with the sport in her own way. Check out the feature on the Forever Our Legacy Invitational featuring former Olympic star Mary Lou . [2] Her performance made her one of the most popular athletes in the United States. Retton said she and Kelley simply grew apart. Having retired from gymnastics after winning an unprecedented third American Cup title in 1985, as noted above, she later had cameo appearances as herself in Scrooged and Naked Gun '"`UNIQ--templatestyles-00000016-QINU`"'33+13: The Final Insult. . In the backyard play area Mary Lou with her four daughters Shayla,9 McKenna,7 Skyla,4 and Emma,2 Mary Lou Retton a member of the 1984 Olympic gymnastics team won five metals in LA. There will be no immediate honeymoon for Mary Lou Retton, a gold medal . She posts videos about her daily life, which often feature her siblings and husband, Wyatt Schrepfer, who also studied at Baylor University. [16] She retired in 1986. if( 'moc.enilnoefiltseb' !== location.hostname.split('').reverse().join('') ) { "She's a hollerer, for sure." 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. if( navigator.sendBeacon ) { Retton brings name recognition. Its a 9.95 to end her illustrious career, the caption read. Subscribe to @olympics: http://oly.ch/Subscribe America celebrates following this stunning performance in the Women's Individual All-Round Gymnastics com. Although she didn't compete in any meets during her first year, her career is just beginning. A lot of people were surprised.. She went to The University of Texas, where she met her husband, Shannon Kelly, who played quarterback for the Longhorns. Mary Lou Retton a member of the 1984 Olympic gymnastics team won five metals in LA. #allthefeels #lsugym @mckennamckelley @LSUgym pic.twitter.com/DbmbuWFazK, Alison Stevens (@AlisonMichele93) April 21, 2019. xhr.send(payload); Still, Retton is supportive of her daughters aspirations, as you may have been able to tell by her beaming face in the video. She now has her own YouTube channel, which she started in 2015. 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. This move, and many others like it, were removed from the Code of Points of artistic gymnastics due to old-style "belly beat" moves having ceased to be used in bars competitions. (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau), Mayor: HISD has two optionsclose school or be taken over, Rare photos show 2 ocelots crossing South Texas road, Willie Nelson pays lovely tribute to another country legend. She shared a photo of the LSU team holding a trophy with the caption, Yep, She also shared a photo of herself in the stands, along with a big group of other LSU parents. [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. Retton recovered and, trailing Szabo entering her final event in the all-around at Los Angeles, received a perfect score of 10.0 on the "vault without fault" to win the gold medal by 0.05 points. As Kelley took her final bow after her stellar performance, the crowd went wild. The proud mom took to Instagram to commemorate her daughters triumphant performance. Theres that fine line between a daughter and a friend, so theres a lot that I couldnt share with them. [8] She competed in the 1984 Olympic games in Los Angeles, California, during her sophomore year of high school. "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. On Saturday, April 20, LSU finished second at the NCAA Womens Gymnastics Championships. On LSU's senior night in March, Kelley earned her first career perfect 10, with Retton watching from the crowd. ( Smiley N. Pool / Chronicle ), Mary Lou Retton and her daughter McKenna Kelley, 11, celebrate with Chellsie Memmel after she was announced as member of the 2008 Olympic team on the final day of the USA Gymnastics Olympic selection camp at Women's National Team Training Center, Saturday, July 19, 2008, in New Waverly, Texas. That sucked all the calcium out of me," she said, laughing. document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function() { I wasnt there to bash my ex. The couple has four daughters together Shayla, 23, McKenna, 21, Skyla, 18, and Emma, 16 and she explained that she was very thankful for her kids, as they love her unconditionally. Ever. 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. You dont want to get hurt or anything!'. Meanwhile, Kelley also later celebrated her second place spot on Instagram, sharing the below photo: Last night, I learned that winning isnt everything; that I dont need a 1st place win to know that I have already won, she wrote in the caption, going on to thank the school, the team and her coaches and other supporters. That made it special for people. Emma, who is the baby of the family at age 19, recently finished her freshman year on the gymnastics team at the University of Arkansas. The couple got married in January 2020. She also competed in multiple club gymnastics competitions when she was in high school. McKenna Kelley, left, and her mom, Mary Lou Retton, at the 1984 Summer Olympics. [33] Despite these efforts, on February 14, 2018, the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017 was signed into law and became effective immediately. Olympic Gymnast Mary Lou Retton Cheers on Daughter at NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships, Olympian Katie Ledecky Says 'Go for the Gold' After She's Named Best Female Athlete at 2022 ESPY Awards, Breakfast of Champions! All four of my children were born here, and my husband is from here. She and her wife, Molly, are the proud moms of two formerly stray cats, Sophie and Pierre, and a rescue dog named Gracie. Though Retton missed the World Gymnastics Championships in 1983 due to a wrist injury, she won the American Classic in 1983 and 1984, as well as Japan's Chunichi Cup in 1983. Nadia Comneci Scored a Perfect 10 at the Olympics 45 Years Ago. [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. 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, and getting tearful as she watched her daughter's team take home the runner-up trophy. If you have any concerns about the accuracy of our content, please reach out to our editors by e-mailing Last Christmas, she shared a photo of her and her sisters in matching pajamas on Instagram. ET) on ABC. "No one had ever seen a gymnast like me. PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton and her daughter, McKenna Kelley, brought their gymnastics invitational to Rhode Island on Friday. She has been with the brand since starting as an intern nearly six years ago, covering all things entertainment across print and digital platforms. RELATED:Nadia Comneci Scored a Perfect 10 at the Olympics 45 Years Ago. 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. Emma is a rising sophomore on her college's gymnastics team. McKenna won her first gymnastics competition when she was 17. She shared on the show that she had gotten divorced from husband Shannon Kelley, whom she married in 1990. Shes worked really hard to come back from a serious injury, did two events and was ready to do beam tonight. Her university profile notes that, as a junior, Shayla qualified in three events at the National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association's Individual Championships and won one. At the same Olympics, Retton won four additional medals: silver in the team competition and the horse vault, and bronze in the floor exercise and uneven bars. 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. Women who had ovarian cysts share their stories, A sugar replacement may be linked to heart attacks and strokes, but don't throw it out yet. Here is to seeing more of Skyla as she takes adulthood and the world by storm! HOUCHRON CAPTION (08/19/2004): Retton four daughters (from left) Shayla, 9, Skyla, 4, Emma, 2, and McKenna, 7, are her most prized possessions. [] 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. 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. 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. [26], Retton has many commercial endorsements, including bowling and shampoo. She graduated from Baylor University in 2017 with a major in Health Science. Sign up for Yahoo Lifes daily newsletter. McKenna and her mom co-host the women's gymnastics tour, "For Mothers and Daughters Forever Our Legacy." RELATED:Gymnast Carly Patterson Won Olympic Gold 17 Years Ago. A post shared by shay schrep (@shaylaschrepfer). We were arguing towards the end a lot, but I think that they were shocked that it actually happened.. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. '", Despite her daughters' success in their athletic pursuits, Retton has said that the main thing she's focused on is their happiness. She attended her daughter's graduation ceremony wearing a floral print top and an elaborately designed mini skirt. 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. Great, Click the Allow Button Above "Wow what a night! IE 11 is not supported. This is a carousel. Retton was thrust back into the spotlight when the USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal hit the news in 2016. 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. 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. She also posts frequently about her mom and dad. 1995), McKenna (b. But she and her siblings were never forced to continue doing it if they didn't want to, which McKenna noted to Tiger Rag, an LSU magazine. From vegan to keto, which diet has the highest carbon footprint. Mary Lou Retton wrote "Gateways to Happiness" to share her philosophy about success and life. navigator.sendBeacon('https://www.google-analytics.com/collect', payload); They have been married for 25 years and have four daughters - Shayla, a member of Baylor University's national champion acrobatics and tumbling team; McKenna, a gymnast at LSU; Skyla, who attends Second Baptist School; and Emma, a potential elite gymnast who trains at Stars Gymnastics in west Houston. Nadia Comneci Scored a Perfect 10 at the Olympics 45 Years Ago. 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. Over the years, the Olympic champion and her enthusiastic cheers from the stands have been a constant presence at her daughter's competitions. View this post on Instagram #grateful A post. Retton doesn't like to interfere with her kids' gymnastics careers. 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. While McKenna grew up with a world-famous Olympian, she says that her mom never pressured her into becoming a gymnast. Mary Lou Retton Mary Lou Retton's official Instagram. , Awesome, Youre All Set! But the equipment today is better, and they train smarter today.". 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. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. Im pretty beat up, she says. 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. See Her Now. Mary Lou Retton's five medals in the 1984 Olympics: Gold: All-around champion, scoring perfect 10.0s on the vault and floor exercise to win. Retton is executive producer and star of the show, a series for under-6 set. McKenna, the second of Retton's four daughters with former Texas quarterback Shannon Kelley, started mommy-and-me gymnastics classes at age 2 and rarely left the gym after that. I dont think another year of gymnastics could give me anything I needed more, she said, adding that her team at LSU has been so special and she wants to finish her college journey with them. ), I got away and just started over, she says. MLB legend makes surprise appearance at Astros' Spring Training, Hiker takes 'once-in-a-lifetime' photo at Brazos Bend State Park, This Texas Hill Country town is the new, cooler Fredericksburg, This is what Houston looks like from space, Eric Gordon trade looking better and better for Houston Rockets, Oops! Although she didn't compete in any meets during her first year, her career is just beginning. "I try to make every competition I can," Retton said in a 2016 ESPN feature. After the show aired, Retton says a lot of people reached out and were surprised to hear that she and Kelley had separated. Route 79 permanently closes in Fall River Video / Feb 27, 2023 / 07:27 . I dont think the ex told anybody, but thats just coming from me that could be wrong. [18], In 1985, she received the Golden Plate Award of the American Academy of Achievement presented by Awards Council member General Chuck Yeager. Legendary Olympians Who've Been Honored on Wheaties Boxes. Growing up, I never had that pressure, Kelley told espnW as a freshman competitor. 21 hours ago, by Samantha Brodsky All four of their children. It's a small town in a big city and such a sports town where everybody supports each other.". Next is Skyla Kelley, who's 21 years old and studying at Texas Tech University. 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. One gold, two silver and two bronze. [17], Retton's hometown, Fairmont, West Virginia, named a road and a park in the town after her. My daughters were amazing, she says. Watch Kelley's finals floor routine above (wait until the end to see Retton cheering along). Mary Lou Retton's daughter nailed her routine at the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships She almost got a perfect score! I havent officially announced this, but I have decided to graduate with my senior class. You may have spotted, in the crowd there, Kelleys mom, cheering along with everyone else. She also posts frequently about her mom and dad. If anything, when we were growing up shed be like, You should quit. Retton sailed through the Olympic Trials but, in an event that would not have happened these days, was allowed to appear in a post-trials exhibition and suffered a knee injury that required arthroscopic surgery six weeks before the Games. The beautiful star was, however, more than happy to share that her grown daughter is on her way into adulthood. 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. I will not be taking a fifth year, she shared on Today, to which her mother enthusiastically replied, Thank God.. She did rack up some impressive scores on the mat in high school, however. The comments section contained a lot of congratulatory messages for Skyla as well as multiple compliments for the mother-daughter duo for looking so alike. 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. "Back in my day, I was kind of on the cutting edge," Retton said in an interview before Rio. Former gymnast and Olympic gold medalist Mary Lou Retton was at the Rhode Island Convention Center hosting a gymnastics meet. Ronnie and Lois Retton are her parents. In her senior year, she scored a 9.8875 in the vault competition at the NCAA Team Finals. 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. But that kind of gymnastics has gone. ** FILE ** Mary Lou Retton is shown during her perfect performance in the floor exercise in the Olympic individual all-around finals of the Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Calif., in this Aug. 3, 1984 photo. "She's never made us feel like we had . May Lou Wheaties box on display in her home. 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 . She retired from gymnastics after graduating college, but McKenna is still involved with the sport in her own way. But who could blame her? For her performance, she was named Sports Illustrated Magazine's "Sportswoman of the Year." And the whole place, it was just such a moment.. A post shared by Mary Lou Retton (@marylouretton) My close-knit people obviously knew, but not a lot of people knew, she says. It was picture perfect, her daughter agreed.