Inside Olympian Mary Lou Retton’s House Where She Fights for Life with Support from Her 4 Daughters

• Mary Lou Retton, the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in gymnastics, is battling a rare form of pneumonia at her home in Texas.
• She is surrounded by the love and support of her four daughters, who asked for financial help from fans.
• Take a look inside Retton’s house, where she fights for her life and shares her memories, struggles, and hopes.

56-year-old Mary Lou Retton is grateful to be alive and has a story to tell. She is currently recuperating in her Texas home after facing a rare form of pneumonia that forced her to stay in the ICU for a month. However, she is no stranger to facing challenges and overcoming them. Retton, a name synonymous with athleticism and tenacity, made a mark in history on August 4, 1984.

The coveted individual all-around gold medal in women’s gymnastics was within reach, and Retton seized it with a performance that left the world in awe. Executing a flawless vault – a complete back somersault in layout position with a full twist – she scored a perfect ten, becoming the first American woman to win an Olympic medal in gymnastics.

The then-16-year-old dynamo from Fairmont, West Virginia, faced immense pressure, trailing Romania’s Ecaterina Szabo by a mere 5-hundredths of a point. But Retton thrived under pressure, knowing that anything less than a ten would result in a tie with Szabo. She’d later say, “I vault best under pressure.” Her determination paid off as she landed her vault with impeccable precision, standing upright and motionless, a picture of perfect form.

The feeling, as Retton said, was indescribable: a rush of goosebumps and a certainty that she had nailed it. In a display of sheer exuberance and for the delight of the 9,023 spectators at Pauley Pavilion, Retton performed her second vault. Even though she couldn’t surpass her first score, she matched it, scoring another perfect ten.

The final tally revealed Retton’s victory, with 79.175 points to Szabo’s 79.125. Retton has been fighting for her life since October last year with this same resilience and determination. Her unexpected illness struck on an ordinary day. Retton, who says she is a “very private” individual by nature, was enjoying a day of relaxation and preparation for a much-anticipated “girls’ trip” to Dallas, Texas, with her eldest daughter, Shayla Schrepfer.

As they sat in the nail salon, Schrepfer noticed her mother’s fatigue, her struggle to keep her eyes open. Later that evening, Retton’s words began to lose their coherence, but the family dismissed it as mere dehydration. The following day, Retton was found lying on her bedroom floor, gasping for breath. Unbeknownst to her, she was in the throes of a rare and life-threatening form of pneumonia.

Observing an open car door in Retton’s driveway, a vigilant neighbor who lives across the street and happens to be a close friend decided to investigate. Fortuitously, she knew Retton’s house code, enabling her to enter just in the nick of time. She swiftly escorted Retton to the emergency room.

She was later sent to a hospital, where she spent a grueling month in the intensive care unit, battling for her life. Reflecting on the incident, Retton acknowledged, “Magda pretty much saved my life.” Retton’s four daughters — Schrepfer, McKenna Kelley, Skyla Kelley, and Emma Jean Kelley — rallied around their mother, sharing her story with the public and starting an online fundraiser to cover her medical expenses.

As Retton’s condition worsened, the doctors considered putting her on life support. Her daughters prayed, fearing they were saying their final goodbyes. But Retton, ever the fighter, managed to hold on until her oxygen levels stabilized, avoiding the need for a ventilator. She was finally able to return to her Texas home later in the month, continuing her recovery surrounded by her loving children.

In a startling revelation, Retton, who holds the distinction of being America’s first female all-around gymnastics gold medal winner, could not afford health insurance. This prompted her daughters to seek financial assistance from fans. They initiated a crowdfunding campaign on spotfund.com, openly disclosing Retton’s lack of medical insurance and their need for help with the mounting hospital bills.

Retton’s daughter, McKenna, who initiated the campaign, wrote, “My amazing mom, Mary Lou, has a very rare form of pneumonia and is fighting for her life.” In the heartfelt plea, McKenna asked for prayers and expressed gratitude in advance for any help, emphasizing that any support would benefit Retton and the family immensely.

Months after leaving the hospital, Today magazine visited her home, where she opened up about why she wasn’t insured. She admitted, “When COVID hit, and after my divorce, I couldn’t afford it.” Adding to her financial burden was a long list of pre-existing conditions, remnants of an aggressive gymnastics career that demanded over 30 orthopedic surgeries.

Retton publicly announced her divorce from her husband of 27 years, Shannon Kelley, in November 2018 during an episode of “Dancing with the Stars.” Retton and Kelley, who tied the knot in 1990, didn’t have a singular moment that led to their separation.

Instead, it was a gradual drift apart that culminated in their divorce in February 2018. Despite the loneliness that accompanied this process, Retton found solace in the unwavering support of their four daughters. She appreciated their support, saying, “My daughters were amazing.”

Retton, typically a private individual, decided to share the news of her divorce publicly, aiming for transparency about her personal journey. Her ex-husband, Kelley, a Houston native and product of its high school football scene, had a successful career of his own.

A former football player at the University of Texas, Kelley graduated with a degree in communications in 1989 and later earned a master’s degree in business administration from the University of St. Thomas in Houston. After years as a partner in an investment firm and a real estate developer in Houston, Kelley pursued his dream of becoming a college football coach.

He served as the quarterbacks coach at Fairmont State University in Retton’s hometown of Fairmont, West Virginia. Kelley’s coaching career also included a stint at California (Pa.) University, where he was the director of athletic fundraising and the running backs coach. He later coached the Houston Baptist University football program.

Despite the dissolution of their marriage, it resulted in four lovely daughters who have been steadfastly supporting their mother in her fight for life. Extensive testing has been conducted, yet the cause of Retton’s pneumonia remains a mystery. She has tested negative for the flu, COVID-19, and RSV; bacterial and fungal causes have been ruled out. However, Retton is happy to be alive. She told Today, “I am grateful to be here. I am blessed to be here.”

As Retton gradually regains her strength, doctors plan to conduct a biopsy on her lungs to uncover the root cause of her illness. Her recovery journey is a day-by-day process with no definitive end in sight. Yet, bolstered by the unwavering support of her daughters, she faces each day with positivity and determination.