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. 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'll be starting her junior year this fall and is in the Alpha Phi sorority. '", Despite her daughters' success in their athletic pursuits, Retton has said that the main thing she's focused on is their happiness. You had to watch ABC, because that was the only place to see us. Check out the feature on the Forever Our Legacy Invitational featuring former Olympic star Mary Lou . And for more entertainment and celebrity news sent right to your inbox, sign up for our daily newsletter. Their daughters' names are Shayla, McKenna, Skyla, & Emma Kelley. Now she's going for platinum. She brought the look to a finish wearing tall black heels and with her dark brown hair styled into a straight-edged cut. "It's not like today, when you get the results before they appear on television. "She's a hollerer, for sure.". 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 . Mary's father was also a former collegiate basketball player. Back when I competed, it was the pretty little butterflies, which I was not. 1 day ago, by Yerin Kim From vegan to keto, which diet has the highest carbon footprint. Shayla was on her college's acrobatics and tumbling team. Its woven into every fabric of my being. 744 posts. 403 N 3rd St, Richmond , VA 23219. [6] (The original family name was "Rotunda. . David Barron reported on sports media, college football and Olympic sports for the Houston Chronicle until his retirement in January 2021. ** 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. Mary Lou Retton cheers gymnast daughter's near-perfect routine When McKenna Kelley nailed her floor routine at the NCAA Women's Gymnastics Championships, no one was prouder than her mom,. . After 1984 fame, Mary Lou Retton made Houston home, Mary Lou Retton reacts to applause after her performance at her Olympics gymnastic event on Aug. 3, 1984 in Los Angeles. Im scared!, I guess I got to find myself a dancer, dont I? she adds. At 26 years old, Shayla is Retton's eldest daughter. At the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, she won a gold medal in the individual all-around competition, as well as two silver medals and two bronze medals. [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. Retton looked so young herself that she could easily pass for Skylas sister. Mary Lou Retton (born January 24, 1968) is an American retired gymnast. But the equipment today is better, and they train smarter today.". And while she may not share the same athletic interests as her family, they're still close. You know, all the things that come with a divorce of that magnitude with such a large family. I really have done a full turnaround.. You dont want to get hurt or anything!'. My daughters were amazing, she says. It really helped me find that woman that I was searching for. All images are used with permission or licensed. A post shared by Mary Lou Retton (@marylouretton) This wasn't her only win at the games; she also won silver in the team and vault competitions, along with bronze medals in uneven bar and floor exercise. Opening up about her decision to step away, Kelley shared that she feels so at peace.. This is a carousel. 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. Under the Krolyis, Retton soon began to make a name for herself in the U.S., winning the American Cup in 1983 and placing second to Dianne Durham (another Krolyi student) at the US Nationals that same year. Bestlifeonline.com is part of the Meredith Health Group. 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. } ); Instead of pursuing gymnastics, Skyla was on the cheerleading team during her four years of high school. Mary Lou Retton (born January 24, 1968) is an American retired gymnast. In the photo, the mother-daughter duo were all smiles with Skyla standing tall beside her world-famous mother. She'll be starting her junior year this fall and is in the Alpha Phi sorority. The couple got married in January 2020. May Lou five medals on display in her home. 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. May Lou Wheaties box on display in her home. 55 minutes ago, by Eden Arielle Gordon But Kelley seems to be handling these expectations without breaking a sweat, as evidenced by her recent performance in the NCAA championships. "She's never made us feel like we had . We believe that every person's story is important as it provides our community with an opportunity to feel a sense of belonging, share their hopes and dreams. She also says she checked comments on her social media pages something she doesnt normally do to see if her story inspired anybody going through the same thing. How Many Kids Do Ben and Erin Napier Have? Olympic Gymnast Mary Lou Retton Cheers on Daughter at NCAA Womens Gymnastics Championships. McKenna then took her gymnastics career to the collegiate level at Louisiana State University. 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Who can blame a mom, when there's so much to cheer about? When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. Unlike her older sisters, Skyla isn't involved in collegiate gymnastics. "People still come up to me and say they remember where they were during the summer of 1984," she said. RELATED:See Michael Jordan's Three Oldest Kids All Grown Up. My last thought to you was, Remember this. My words were, remember this, baby girl. Though Retton felt lonely throughout the process, she says she had the support of the couples four daughters Shayla, 23, McKenna, 21, Skyla, 18, and Emma, 16. (She shared the title with Mackenzie Brannan.) 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. 20 hours ago, by Lindsay Kimble When the Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act of 2017[32] was introduced to the 115th Congress, she and other members of USA Gymnastics met with the bill sponsor, Senator Dianne Feinstein, with the aim of convincing her to drop the bill. Next is Skyla Kelley, who's 21 years old and studying at Texas Tech University. And I just can't help myself!". (AP Photo/Suzanne Vlamis), Mary Lou Retton of the USA is hugged by her coach, Bela Karolyi, following her perfect performance in the floor exercise in Olympic individual all-around finals Friday night, Aug. 3, 1984 in Los Angeles. She also competed in multiple club gymnastics competitions when she was in high school. Gymnast Carly Patterson Won Olympic Gold 17 Years Ago. However, Skyla did do gymnastics as a child, starting at the age of three. That's where I am at this stage of life.". I'm so grateful to be following you on social media: you were my first ever hero @marylouretton, and I wanted to be just like you.. Growing up, I never had that pressure, Kelley told espnW as a freshman competitor. Though Retton admits shes a pretty private person, she decided to share the news about her divorce in such a public manner so that she could be transparent about everything she had been going through. She graduated from Baylor University in 2017 with a major in Health Science. [27] She was the first female athlete to be pictured on the front of a Wheaties box, and General Mills stated that Wheaties sales improved after her appearance. 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. [17], Retton's hometown, Fairmont, West Virginia, named a road and a park in the town after her. I havent officially announced this, but I have decided to graduate with my senior class. Gymnast Mary Lou Retton made history at the 1984 Summer Olympics when she became the first American woman to win the all-around gold medal. '", Despite her daughters' success in their athletic pursuits, Retton has said that the main thing she's focused on is their happiness. We adhere to structured guidelines for sourcing information and linking to other resources, including [] "Her voice is so distinct, and I can always hear it in the crowd," she told ESPN. These are the fruits that are safe (and not safe) for your dog to eat, These Clever Food Hacks Get Kids To Eat Healthy, The 5 Ways You Know Youre Too Old For Roommates. IE 11 is not supported. xhr.send(payload); There were women saying theyve been in the same predicament as myself [with a] long marriage and thanking me for giving them the hope and courage to continue, she says. "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. A post shared by Mary Lou Retton (@marylouretton), Even with four kids who've done gymnastics, Retton has never been tempted to coach them herself. For some fans in attendance, watching Kelley's mom cheer on her performance brought back heartwarming memories of those Olympic games. Kelley didn't pursue elite gymnastics until she was 17 the same age Retton was when she retired from the sport, just one year after her history-making victory at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The last hashtag hints at the fact that Retton now only has one more high school graduation to attend, given that Skyla is her third daughter. "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. "I just want them to know that I'm proud of them no matter what, whether they're gymnasts or not, just because they're human.". Wherever she ends up next year, shes sure to dazzle. She's got the gold. [2] Her performance made her one of the most popular athletes in the United States. (She shared the title with Mackenzie Brannan.) 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. She then decided to move to Houston, Texas, to train under Romanians Bla and Mrta Krolyi, who had coached Nadia Comneci before their defection to the United States. She did not arrive at this point in her life unscathed. Now live in Houston with her husband and their four kids. ", Gymnastics, she said, "is a brutal sport. Simone Biles has won more world championships, Nastia Liukin has as many Olympic medals and Shannon Miller has more world and Olympic medals combined. Back in Baton Rouge, LA, there's already a billboard congratulating the runners-up. "Back in my day, I was kind of on the cutting edge," Retton said in an interview before Rio. In 1985, Retton won the American Cup all-around competition for the third and final time. Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton and her daughter, McKenna Kelley, brought their gymnastics invitational to Rhode Island.Retton brings name recognition and st. I'm gonna sit down like most of the other parents and just clap when you go and be quiet and civilized.' AmoMama creates engaging, meaningful content for women. 08/11/2004 (E. Joe Deering/Chronicle). The beautiful star was, however, more than happy to share that her grown daughter is on her way into adulthood. That sucked all the calcium out of me," she said, laughing. As Kelley took her final bow after her stellar performance, the crowd went wild. 1 day ago. And we trained hard - 70 vaults a day onto hard surfaces. She also competed in multiple club gymnastics competitions when she was in high school. After all, Retton was the first American woman to ever win an Olympic all-around gold at the 1984 summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. She retired from gymnastics after graduating college, but McKenna is still involved with the sport in her own way. Instead, she stayed in Houston, graduating from high school and attending the University of Texas, where she met her husband, Shannon Kelley, a former Memorial High School quarterback who also played for the Longhorns and is an assistant coach at Houston Baptist University. She graduated from Baylor University in 2017 with a major in Health Science. [12], Retton divorced her husband in February 2018.[13]. Details: Welcome to the For Mothers & Daughters Forever Our Legacy Invitational tour with Mary Lou Retton & McKenna Kelley, hosted by LR Productions. 2 hours ago, by Sarah Wasilak Great, Click the Allow Button Above Sign up for Yahoo Lifes daily newsletter. McKenna Kelley anchors the 2019 NCAA Gymnastics Championships! But after all is said and done, she is just a kid from a small West Virginia town who has become one of the most familiar faces and most beloved citizens in the fourth-largest city in America. One fan, @emmadilemma83 wrote alongside a heart emoji: She definitely has your smile!!!! by Njera Perkins Experts give insight into the biggest social media lies. ( Smiley N. Pool / Chronicle ). "I think people expect this elaborate answer of she made me run at 6 a.m in the morning, but she's just mom to me. Mary Lou Retton Mary Lou Retton's official Instagram. 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. Ever. See Michael Jordan's Three Oldest Kids All Grown Up. 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. National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association. 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. 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. 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! You can see her performance in the video below, posted to Twitter by sports journalist Holly Rowe, who noted how lucky she felt watching the daughter of the gymnast she once idolized: I idolized @marylouretton now watching her lovely daughter @mckennamckelley is such a cool experience. Skyla bears a striking resemblance to Retton, and that comes through as the young beauty stood near the renowned sports star. I think me coming out with that did help a lot of women., For Retton, the opportunity to participate on DWTS came at just the right time following her divorce, as she was looking to get away. She was in tears as she watched her daughter and her team receive their trophy. xhr.setRequestHeader('Content-Type', 'text/plain;charset=UTF-8'); Mary Lou Retton is opening up about her divorce from ex-husband Shannon Kelley. "You go back to Nastia in 2008. Wonderful final performance for her career at @LSUgym pic.twitter.com/DR9R83G9P8. See Michael Jordan's Three Oldest Kids All Grown Up. But who could blame her? The retired Olympic gold-medal-winning gymnast revealed her split from her husband of 27 years publicly for the first time on Monday nights episode of Dancing with the Stars before being eliminated. Last year, the athlete tore her Achilles tendon and spent the season on the sidelines. Next is Skyla Kelley, who's 21 years old and studying at Texas Tech University. Retton won two international events in 1983 and entered the Olympic year, with the Soviets boycotting the Games in Los Angeles, picked to win the all-around silver medal behind Ecaterina Szabo of Romania. 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. It was a doozy, but I'm recovering. 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. Is climate change causing more flight turbulence? My close-knit people obviously knew, but not a lot of people knew, she says. McKenna won her first gymnastics competition when she was 17. Now, her daughter McKenna Kelley is following in her footsteps, as she just performed a near-perfect routine at the NCAA championships on Sunday as her proud . 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. It's a 9.95 to end her illustrious career. This is your last routine, she shared. The tour benefits The McKenna Kelly Foundation, which donates to non-profits focusing on mental health. 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. She also scored a perfect 10 on a floor exercise at a meet against Oregon State University. One gold, two silver and two bronze. Related . The LSU Gymnastics team also commemorated the special moment online, tweeting an image of Kelley during her routine. 1,325 following. Naturally, the reminders and . Now live in Houston with her husband and their four kids. I dont think the ex told anybody, but thats just coming from me that could be wrong. But McKenna Kelley, who exhibits the . National Collegiate Acrobatics and Tumbling Association. 9 of 24 10 of 24 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 . And I feel like people have a hard time believing that. Now, she says, shes ready for a new chapter. 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