Great News: Mary Lou Retton Is Back Home After Her Battle With A Rare Disease

Mary Lou Retton, the legendary American gymnast who captured Olympic gold in 1984, faced a concerning challenge in her health journey. She experienced a significant setback in her battle against a rare form of pneumonia, as reported by her daughter, Shayla Kelley Schrepfer. She said:

"At the beginning of this week, we were going on the up and up. We were so excited, seeing so much progress, and then yesterday we had a pretty scary setback,... She is still in ICU and we're just working through some things as far as the setback goes."

The fundraising page set up for Retton has seen an overwhelming response, surpassing its initial goal of $50,000 by tenfold. In her message, Schrepfer expressed gratitude to all those who generously donated and offered their prayers and support for her mom. "Thank you guys again for this support," Schrepfer said. "I'm getting so many messages and emails and it's so great to see people love her."

"Pneumonia is one of the most common reasons patients get admitted to the hospital," said Dr. Darien Sutton, an emergency physician said. "If someone isn't able to breathe on their own or isn't able to get enough oxygen and requires additional care, it increases their level of risk and the level of care that they're needing in the hospital."

Retton, who started gymnastics training at age 8 after being inspired by Nadia Comaneci's Olympic win, moved to Houston with her family to train under Bela and Marta Karolyi, the renowned coaches behind Comaneci's success.

Under Karolyis, Retton's gymnastics career flourished. At 15, she won the 1983 America's Cup, finishing second in the U.S. Nationals that same year, just behind Dianne Durham. A wrist injury sidelined her from the World Gymnastics Championships, but she made a triumphant return, clinching victory at the American Classic in both 1983 and 1984.

Retton won in the 1984 U.S. Nationals and secured her spot in the U.S. Olympic Trials. Olympic Trials. However, her path was filled with adversity when a knee injury struck during a routine, causing her intense pain and locking her knee.

Five weeks prior to the 1984 Summer Olympics, she underwent a crucial knee operation. With the Olympics held on home soil for the first time in 52 years, the pressure was immense. Despite the odds, Retton made a remarkable recovery, allowing her to compete and shine in the Olympics.

Retton had remarkable performance including perfect scores of 10 in vault and floor exercise, securing her victory. Retton's gold medal win, with a mere 0.05-point lead, made her the first non-Eastern European female gymnast to claim the individual all-around gold. 

Additionally, she became the first American woman to achieve Olympic all-around champion status. Retton also earned two silver and two bronze medals at the same Olympics.

After the Olympics, Retton kept going in gymnastics. She won the American Cup all-around competition in 1985 for the third time. But in 1986, at just 18, she decided to retire from gymnastics. One of her signature moves, "The Retton Flip," which involved a high bar transition, was eventually removed from the Code of Points due to changing gymnastics styles.

In 1997, she received the prestigious honor of being inducted into the International Gymnastics Hall of Fame. Then, in January 2020, Retton made history by becoming the first woman inducted into the Houston Sports Hall of Fame.