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 . See Michael Jordan's Three Oldest Kids All Grown Up. Although Kelley is a senior at LSU, she missed the entirety of her junior season due to injury. How Many Kids Do Ben and Erin Napier Have? But 30 years ago, the equipment we worked on wasn't so forgiving. Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton and her daughter, McKenna Kelley, brought their gymnastics invitational to Rhode Island.Retton brings name recognition and st. See Michael Jordan's Three Oldest Kids All Grown Up. Her path was different than mine and Im so proud of everything.. However, Skyla did do gymnastics as a child, starting at the age of three. Shayla didn't continue tumbling after college, however. ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb, While McKenna grew up with a world-famous Olympian, she says that her mom never pressured her into becoming a gymnast. [28][29][30] In 2019, Retton became a spokesperson for Australian Dream, a pain relief cream. 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. She won gold, 2x Bronze, and 2x Silver medals at the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. She joined the crowd in repeatedly chanting 10 while flashing both hands toward the sky, and later covered her mouth as she teared up at her daughters success. Wonderful final performance for her career at @LSUgym pic.twitter.com/DR9R83G9P8. Houston Baptist University football program. All four of my children were born here, and my husband is from here. On LSU's senior night in March, Kelley earned her first career perfect 10, with Retton watching from the crowd. I wasnt there to bash my ex. Dancing with the Stars airs Mondays (8 p.m. [emailprotected]. But McKenna Kelley, who exhibits the . And like her mom, she couldnt help but share an image of her newly won awards. She retired from gymnastics after graduating college, but McKenna is still involved with the sport in her own way. May Lou Wheaties box on display in her home. The couple got married in January 2020. 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. Mary Lou Retton and Daughter Skyla on Her Graduation Day (Photo) Mary Lou Retton is an American retired gymnast and Olympian. 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. pic.twitter.com/tedB7SG2jv. On Saturday, April 20, LSU finished second at the NCAA Womens Gymnastics Championships. "Honestly, I don't really give advice or get involved unless asked," she explained. Skyla is lucky enough to get genes from a renowned talent like Retton, and she now has many of her mother's fans looking forward to her future endeavors. After experiencing increased pain from the condition, she underwent hip replacement surgery on her left hip in her mid-thirties. The tour benefits The McKenna Kelly Foundation, which donates to non-profits focusing on mental health. I just felt this is my chance to really be clear and to be transparent to people. WHERE ARE THEY NOW: America's Youngest Olympic Stars - Yahoo! Nadia Comneci Scored a Perfect 10 at the Olympics 45 Years Ago. RETTON AND SKYLAS RESEMBLANCE DID NOT GO UNNOTICED. ")[7] Her father, Ronnie, operated a coal-industry transportation equipment business. Retton looked so young herself that she could easily pass for Skylas sister. She graduated from Baylor University in 2017 with a major in Health Science. See Mary Lou Retton's 4 Daughters, Who All Followed in Her - Yahoo! , Awesome, Youre All Set! Retton doesn't like to interfere with her kids' gymnastics careers. I popped a rib last week, so thats pretty painful. 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At 26 years old, Shayla is Retton's eldest daughter. Now live in Houston with her husband and their four kids. 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. RELATED:Kerri Strug's Heroic Vault Was 25 Years Ago. "Honestly, I don't really give advice or get involved unless asked," she explained. "McKenna was very . document.addEventListener( 'DOMContentLoaded', function() { She is a frequent analyst for televised gymnastics and attended The University of Texas at Austin after the Olympics.[31]. Retired American gymnast, Mary Lou Retton, took to social media to celebrate her look-alike daughter, Skylas graduation from high school. Shes a hollerer, for sure.. 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. Although she didn't compete in any meets during her first year, her career is just beginning. [2] Her performance made her one of the most popular athletes in the United States. 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. 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. See Her Now. 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. Retton, 51, was in the audience watching as her daughter's performance earned a sky-high score of 9.95, mere hundredths from the coveted perfect 10. Did having her mom there make Kelley nervous? She now has her own YouTube channel, which she started in 2015. She had sat down to sign autographs when she felt her knee lock, forcing her to undergo an operation five weeks prior to the 1984 Summer Olympics, which were going to be held in Los Angelesthe first time the Summer Olympics had been held in the United States in 52 years. Retton burst onto the international gymnastics scene at a time the balletic grace of the dominant Soviet Union team was the standard, packing the power and leg drive of a mini-Earl Campbell in a 4-foot-9, 95-pound package. Kelley also retweeted this video of her emotional reaction at the end of her performance. Mary Lou Retton Divorces Husband Shannon Kelley After 27 Years of She also participated in several cheer competitions, per Yahoo! [2] Her performance made her one of the most popular athletes in the United States. He has been a contributor to Dave Campbell's Texas Football since 1980, serving as high school editor from 1984 through 2000 and as Managing Editor from 1990 through 2004. "My goal was to come to Houston because the Karolyis were going to give me my best shot at making the Olympic team," Retton said. 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. One gold, two silver and two bronze. 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. 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. A women's gymnastics competition tour open to USA Gymnastics, NGA, & AAU levels 1-10 and Xcel divisions. 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. Registered gymnasts will receive a custom GK leotard. 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 . McKenna Kelley - LSU } She lives in Asheville, North Carolina, where she spends her free time hiking, reading and snugglingwith her "Friends" box set. You can find out more and change our default settings with Cookies Settings. When you visit this site, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies. 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. Mary Lou Retton was the first American female to have an Olympic all-around gold. Now live in Houston with her husband and their four kids. 08/11/2004 (E. Joe Deering/Chronicle). She has done an amazing job.. It Runs in the Family: Mary Lou Retton's Daughter Nailed Her Floor 1,054 Likes, 31 Comments - Mary Lou Retton (@marylouretton) on Instagram: "Having so much fun with this young lady #Mother/DaughterForeverOurLegacy2023" "No one had ever seen a gymnast like me. My last thought to you was, Remember this. My words were, remember this, baby girl. 1 day ago, by Victoria Edel #sbs2019 #proudmamma #threedownonetogo.. ( 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. Advertisement "I'm on a really good path, and I'm happy with my life," Retton told People in 2018. "Her voice is so distinct, and I can always hear it in the crowd," she told ESPN. : Mary Lou Retton Photos & Info, List of competitive results at Gymn Forum, Olympic Champions in Artistic Gymnastics Women's All-Around, Associated Press Female Athlete of the Year, United States women's national soccer team, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mary_Lou_Retton&oldid=1142782427, Olympic gold medalists for the United States in gymnastics, Olympic silver medalists for the United States in gymnastics, Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in gymnastics, Originators of elements in artistic gymnastics, Sportspeople from Fairmont, West Virginia, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Short description is different from Wikidata, FIG template using Wikidata property P7440, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 10:13. Mary Lou Retton is opening up about her divorce from ex-husband Shannon Kelley. "I don't think I understood the enormity of what she did and the groundbreaking gymnastics she did at the time," she told Today of Retton in 2019. 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. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from POPSUGAR. As for Kelley, she seemed tickled by her mom's pride. And I just can't help myself!". You may have spotted, in the crowd there, Kelleys mom, cheering along with everyone else. McKenna Kelley, daughter of Mary Lou Retton, blazes her own trail in gymnastics 2492 days ago Laurie Bern Special to espnW.com When your mom is Olympic gymnastics superstar Mary Lou Retton and you take up her sport, there are bound to be certain expectations. She joined the crowd in repeatedly chanting "10" while flashing both. 1995), McKenna (b. Verified. '", Despite her daughters' success in their athletic pursuits, Retton has said that the main thing she's focused on is their happiness. [3], Her gold medal win was historic as Retton was the first American woman to win the all-around gold medal in Olympic gymnastics. 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). Shayla didn't continue tumbling after college, however. ( Smiley N. Pool / Chronicle ). They'll always second guess themselves, from what they say to how they look.